A drama-free evening of laughter will raise funds for first responders in treatment for alcohol and drug addiction.
Livengrin’s 46th Anniversary Show takes place on Saturday, September 15th, at 7:30pm at the Gateway Center at Bucks County Community College in Newtown.
Proceeds from the comedy concert are dedicated to services and charitable care in FRAT, the groundbreaking First Responders Addiction Treatment Program at the nonprofit Livengrin Foundation.
Headlining are comedians who cover many topics in their routines, but always touch upon their personal stories from before and after recovery.
Ross Bennett has appeared for 30 years in clubs nationally and abroad, and has been seen on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, on cable’s Comedy Central. Jesse Joyce has appeared on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and was a longtime writer for the Comedy Central Roasts.
Tickets (and a preview of the comics) are available at the Livengrin website, www.livengrin.org/funny. More information is available at 215-638-5200, ext. 146.
FRAT provides rehab, outpatient and aftercare services to police, firefighters, EMTs and combat veterans challenged by alcoholism, drug dependency, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.
“The culture of first responders is so macho, so closed, that admitting the need for help, and getting it, has been very difficult,” says Andy Callaghan, a full-time Philadelphia officer who is one of the managers and interventionists for FRAT.
“Suicide among police is at an all-time high nationally, and almost all police suicides are related to alcohol or drugs. Prescription drugs for on-the-job injuries, those drinks at the bar after a shift with the guys, the PTSD that affects vets and all responders, are taking a terrible toll.”
“FRAT is a special effort to reach out to these people who put themselves on the line every day and deal with tremendous stress.”
More than 120,000 people from all walks of life have begun their path to recovery from alcohol and drugs at Livengrin Foundation of Bensalem, now in its fifth decade of treating a disease that affects one in four households in Pennsylvania and costs the country $400 billion a year.
