LaughFest a new direction for Gilda's

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - LaughFest, the 10-day event in March announced Thursday, may set a new direction for Gilda's Club, a self-supporting organization to help cancer patients and their families.

Bill Cosby, Betty White, Kathleen Madigan and Mike Birbiglia are the announced headliners for the fundraising event that will take place at 20 venues throughout the city.

Named for comedienne Gilda Radner , who died in 1989 from ovarian cancer, Gilda's Club has chapters throughout the country.

But the directors of the 10-year-old Grand Rapids chapter tried to envision what their next 10 years would be like.

Inspired by Gilda, they settled on laughter as a fundraiser. Leann Arkema, the president and CEO of Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, said planning for LaughFest began 18 months ago.

Tickets sales will raise money, organizers told 24 Hour News 8, but they're more interested in the marketing aspect of this event to show the importance of emotional and social support in treatment of most illnesses.

LaughFest will also have a number of free events, and Gilda's Club is trying to involve schools and other organizations. Organizers hope that as the ball gets rolling, more sponsors will jump on board and LaughFest can become something really big in years to come.

"Our goal is to reach 50,000 people with LaughFest," Arkema said. "We could not have a dinner for 50,000 people to share that message."

And that message is Gilda's Club can help your overall health.

"We believe we can reduce healthcare costs and improve quality outcomes when you support a family," she told 24 Hour News 8, "and it's more cost effective than a lot of other things out there."

As health care reform comes online over the next few years, Gilda's Club is hoping it can get more financial support from grants, even insurance companies who might be willing to pay for what is known in the health care industry as psycho-social support .

"Studies have shown when you can support a family through anything big that comes at them in life, through education and that camaraderie that a community brings, people live healthier lives," she said.