Actress/Comedian Caroline Rhea Headlines Comedy Night Fundraiser

Extraordinary Lives Foundation (ELF) supporters generated over $220K during the nonprofit’s sixth annual Comedy Night fundraising gala on September 27. Held at the scenic Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, 220 guests enjoyed an evening of fun and laughter featuring comedian/actress Caroline Rhea, comedian Eric Schwartz and comedian/host Jennifer Arundale.

A special presentation during the evening program was the declaration of September as Children’s Emotional Wellness Month made by resolution author Assemblywoman Laurie Davies and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who backed the resolution.

In her opening remarks, Extraordinary Lives Foundation founder and CEO Mara James cited US Surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy, “We are in a global mental health pandemic and it’s going to take all of us coming together to make a real impact on our future generations.” She went on, “When I look around the room, I see so many beautiful souls and community leaders and this gives me hope for our precious youth and their future.”

ELF’s Comedy Night Gala is the nonprofit’s primary source of funding in support of families by providing awareness, educational tools, and resources. The lively evening featured an expansive silent auction, dinner, video presentations, comedy show and live auction with Zach Krone.

Headliner comedian Caroline Rhea followed the talented comedians Jennifer Arundale and Eric Schwartz. Rhea is an actress and popular stand-up comedian best known for her role as Linda Flynn-Fletcher, Betty Jo Flynn and other voices from the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb and Hilda Spellman on the ABC series Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

An estimated one in five children have a diagnosable mental health condition and funds from the Comedy Night Gala will support ELF’s Piggie Bear educational resources to increase children’s emotional development and their HUGS for Life Healing Center bridging the gap between mental health medical professionals and holistic healers.

Major event sponsors included Dr. James Lin, Reproductive Fertility Center, Mara & Kenneth James, Hoag Hospital Memorial Presbyterian, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Fiona Ma and Adrienne & Rick Matros. Other support was provided by Tilly’s Life Center, Dynamic Wealth Advisors, Natera, LifeSpring Home Nutrition, Legacy Financial Advisors and Berryessa Gap Vineyards.

For more information about ELF, visit https://www.elfempowers.org/.

About Extraordinary Lives Foundation (ELF)

Founded in 2015, ELF's mission is to improve children’s mental health and wellness and support families by providing awareness, educational tools, and resources. They encourage families to recognize symptoms, overcome the mental health stigma and reach out for help. Through prevention, early intervention and holistic treatment, they believe many of the major problems facing today’s youth can be transformed within a generation. The nonprofit organization extends healing tools to children in hospitals, foster care facilities, shelters, and military families and provide clinical resources and holistic healing to under-served children with mental health challenges.

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