Bringing Humor and Empowerment to Autism Community with Unique Comedy Event
I am an Autism parent. I know how, with autism, we see struggles, difficulties, progress, triumphs and yes, even humor in our daily lives. In my house, with 2 children on the spectrum, there is lots of humor. One local KC group is skillfully using humor to present a very exciting night with a comedy event to benefit Camp Encourage.
“An Evening With The Rents” is one of the most unique fundraisers of its kind, bringing awareness to the humorous, the horrible, and the humorously horrible aspects of parenting children with autism. Those previously involved in the event have described it as “an evening of love and laughter,” and it’s all for an amazing cause. Check out an incredible story from a family’s experience with Camp Encourage here!
For the past two years, local therapy companies and Camp Encourage have paired these brave parents with local comedians to turn their stories about parenting into stage-ready comic material.
The fundraiser gained national attention in its first year after local media covered the event. The Kansas City Star’s four-page feature and television coverage were picked up by media outlets across the country, while NPR affiliates created featured projects and devoted editions of talk shows to discuss issues surrounding the event (e.g., parental empowerment, humor as stress release, equality of opportunity, etc.). Last year, a documentary was filmed of the parents’ transformations into stand-up comedians, culminating with their performance. Producers expect the documentary to be released in the Fall of 2016.
This is a fabulous event, both for Camp Encourage and the parents involved. Such a great way to tell our stories and see light at a sometimes overwhelming tunnel that is never ending. One in 64 children are diagnosed with Autism and there is no known cause for the neurological disorder.
All proceeds from the event benefit Camp Encourage, an overnight summer camp devoted to the social growth and independence of children with autism. This 21 and over event is taking place at the beautiful and historic Gem Theater (in the 18th and Vine Jazz corridor) on Friday, February 26th, 2016, from 6 to 10 P.M.
Full event details and tickets for An Evening With The Rents can be found at http://rents.brownpapertickets.com, ,https://campencourage.org/Evening_With_The_Rents.html, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eveningwiththerents.
