Sampson’s Mills church plans comedy fundraiser
The show, with family-friendly entertainers, will take place Aug. 8.
Sampson’s Mills Presbyterian Church in White Oak is taking a new approach on a fundraiser.
Starting at 5 p.m. Aug. 8, the church will host a comedy night fundraiser, a pasta dinner and two family-friendly comedians for the whole community to enjoy.
The church, located at 1665 Lincoln Way, has deep roots in the White Oak Community dating back over 125 years, and this is its first comedy event.
The church benefits the community in numerous ways, including a Cupboard Stretchers Food Bank, vaccine clinics, health screenings and blood drives, as well as providing a safe haven for neighbors during electrical outages and times of extreme temperatures.
“We look forward to continuing this valuable role in our community, but we are faced with the realities of extreme increased costs to maintain our building,” church officials stated in a press release. “To help us handle these costs, we are holding an exciting new fundraiser so we can continue with our mission and we are asking our neighbors to join us.”
A member of the congregation suggested doing a comedy show, according to communications and office manager Amber Keefer.
They wanted to try something different that was appropriate for the entire family, so Keefer reached out to the agencies for these comedians to get them to come to the church.
“She just thought that’s something that really isn’t available in our immediate area without going downtown and things like that, and so she thought that would be something that would attract people,” Keefer said. “It’s a pretty unique fundraiser for our area. It’s not all the time you get to see a comedian.”
Proceeds from the event will help them pay for upcoming events, including the sixth annual Community VBS in the Park, which is coming up July 27 at White Oak Park’s Blue Spruce and Tulip Tree Pavilions.
That event is free and open to anyone of all ages who wants to participate. The vacation bible school is a hybrid between bible school and church camp.
“We’re always here as a food bank, and we’ve been serving as a cooling station,” Keefer said. “There’s a lot of things that we do to support the communities. This is just to kind of overall help with those ministries and help us with building maintenance.”
The comedians — opener Jus Janell and headliner David Kaye — are known around the area and nationally, Keefer said.
Known as the Pittsburgh Queen of Comedy, Janell has been performing stand-up for nearly a decade. She has worked in New York City, opened for nationally recognized talent and performed at venues ranging from small town bars to comedy clubs and casinos.
Performing nearly 9,000 live shows at Fortune 500, casino, cruise and comedy club events, Kaye’s credits include television appearances on Comedy Central, ABC-TV, Netflix, Cinemax and a starring role in the independent film “Zapruder: Time Intruder.”
Tickets are $30 and include a pasta dinner made up of spaghetti, meatballs, salad and cheesecake. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.
“It’s nice because it is a clean comedy show, so you can feel comfortable bringing your family, and being able to laugh,” Keefer said. “It’s a nice way to know that you’ll have something to do that isn’t weather-dependent. I think it should be a good night for relaxing and laughter and some good food.”
Tickets are available on the church’s website at www.sampsonsmills.org or by calling 412-3277355.
