Comedy Show Benefits FL Cancer Specialists, Local Cancer Patients

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — After both his parents died from cancer, Jack Bevilacqua wanted to give back in some way.

The Safety Harbor resident was living in the Tampa Bay area at the time of their deaths in Massachusetts, where he’s originally from.

“I was disconnected from everything they went through for the most part, though I traveled back and forth when I could,” he told Patch. “When they died, I just felt like I needed to do something. I wanted to help in some way after I saw what my parents went through and I didn’t want it to be all about research and clinical trials.”

So, he launched the Crack Up Cancer Comedy Benefit, now in its 16th year. These days, all the proceeds go to a fund organized by the Florida Cancer Specialists that helps lower- and middle-income Tampa Bay-area cancer patients with non-medical, but critical, living expenses while they go through treatments.

“I felt there was a need or a gap out there for basically support services for people who are going through it,” Bevilacqua said.

This year’s event takes place Saturday, 7: 30 p.m., at the Floridian Social Club in downtown St. Petersburg. The line-up includes Jimmy Shubert, Steve Simeone and local comic Johnny B.

Since founding the event, he’s raised about half a million dollars for cancer patients, much of it going to Florida Cancer Specialists, in addition to other organizations.

“What really attracted me to Florida Cancer Specialists was that the money could be directly earmarked for non-medical needs,” he said. “Seeing my parents go through it, the psychological and emotional part of being treated or having cancer is sort of underestimated until you’re going through it. You have all this stress and at the same time, worrying about paying your electric bill or putting food in your refrigerator.”

Bevilacqua added, “Some with cancer can’t work as much and make less money. So, this (fund) puts them a little bit more at ease and helps them make sure they’re getting to their appointments, makes sure they’re focusing on getting better and it helps their families.”

Initially, he started the event when he was participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge, a fundraising bike ride organized by the Dana-Farber Institute. Each rider was expected to raise a certain amount and the money raised at his inaugural comedy show was used to offset the donations expected for that bike ride.

He worked with local comic Mike McCarthy to organize that first event at Coconuts in Clearwater.

He thought a comedy show would be a fitting way to remember his parents and raise funds for those with cancer.

“I grew up in a very typical Italian-, Irish-Catholic kind of household with many kids. Humor and sarcasm was really thick in the house,” Bevilacqua said. “So, I thought a good way to honor my parents would be through comedy.”

Over the past 16 years, it’s been held at various venues throughout the Tampa Bay area as it grew, including Tampa Improv in Ybor City, the Straz Center’s Ferguson Hall in Tampa and the Tampa Theatre.

Now, the show is landing in St. Petersburg for the first time at the Floridian Social Club.

“The owner off the bat was interested in doing something like this,” he said. “They’ve been spectacular in terms of working with them and extremely flexible.”

The benefit is for those 21 and older and also includes a silent auction and raffle. Tickets range from $25 per person for bar seating to $40 each for table seating in front of the stage.

“It dawned on me. Let’s say a water bill is $80. If you buy two tickets to this event at $40 each, that’s someone’s water bill,” Bevilacqua said. “One hundred percent of ticket sales goes directly to someone in need of a grant. So, you get to sit and laugh for two hours and that equates to you paying a cancer patient’s water bill for a month.”