SETH MEYERS TO PERFORM AT “LAUGH IT UP MILWAUKEE 2012: STAND UP TO CANCER” presented by Bayshore Community Foundation benefiting the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center and Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin

Comedian, head writer for “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) and SNL’s “Weekend Anchor” Seth Meyers will take the stage for “Laugh It Up Milwaukee 2012: Stand Up to Cancer,” at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (JCC). The event is presented with generous support from Bayshore Community Foundation and Mr. Stan Kass, president of Skylark Vending, in memory of his wife, Lee, and will benefit the JCC and Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin. Reserved tickets for the event are $75 and $100 and include a cocktail and dessert reception beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC. Tickets may be purchased online at www.laughitupmilwaukee.org or by calling 800-595-4TIX (4849) beginning Friday, December 2nd.

This fall Meyers began his tenth season on SNL as a cast member and his fifth season as both head writer and “Weekend Update” anchor. Before focusing his attention solely on “Update,” Meyers was a regular player in sketches, performing numerous characters and impressions, most notably, an uncanny portrayal of Senator John Kerry for the show’s satire of the 2004 Presidential election. Meyers served as the host of the 2010 and 2011 ESPY Awards on ESPN, and was the keynote speaker at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner last April. Over the past seven years, Meyers has been featured in ten films, most recently in the 2011 movie I Don’t Know How She Does It.

The evening will mark the first annual presentation of “Laugh It Up Milwaukee,” an event designed to show the power of organizations coming together to meet the needs of the Greater Milwaukee community. This year’s event will focus on standing up to cancer by supporting the various wellness programs for children, youth and adults offered at the JCC and the free program of cancer support for men, women and children offered through Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin. Partnership plays a significant role in this event, according to Mark Shapiro, executive director of the JCC. “The JCC believes in partnership and the power of community as we see so many of our friends and neighbors experiencing challenges in their lives. At this year’s event, thanks to the generous support of the Bayshore Community Foundation, we’re using stand-up comedy to stand up to cancer in partnership with Gilda’s Club.” The relationship between Gilda’s Club and the JCC began in 2010 and that partnership has proven to be a natural, according to Trish Haudricourt, executive director of Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin. “The JCC has been a good friend and community partner to Gilda’s Club, having reached out to us in 2010 with a location to deliver our free program of cancer support. Now, the JCC is home to our first ‘Living Room,’ a warm and welcoming environment where those living with cancer participate in support groups and healthy lifestyle activities. Our program of cancer support adds another facet of ‘wellness’ to the comprehensive wellness program the JCC currently offers its members.”

Bayshore Community Foundation, established by the owners of Bayshore, focuses on providing meaningful support to youth and families in the Greater Milwaukee area. The Foundation, funded by parking meter proceeds and ticket revenues, offers significant support to area nonprofit organizations through the Change for Charity Meter Program, the Bayshore Scholarship Fund and Community Event Sponsorships.

The Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (JCC) is a non-profit, social service agency founded upon Jewish ethics and values. It is committed to the ever-changing needs of the entire Jewish community for strengthening Jewish identity and for enriching the quality of Jewish life. The JCC provides the total community with a forum for open dialogue regarding matters affecting Jewish life here, in Israel, and throughout the world. It initiates diversified social educational, recreational, and cultural programs within a Jewish setting.

Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin is an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community, an organization leading the charge to define and implement a new standard of cancer care for all people affected by cancer. The organization provides psychological and social support through a network of more than 50 affiliate centers and more than 100 satellite locations, in addition to online support services. As part of the Cancer Support Community, Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. will continue to make a difference in the lives of millions who are touched by cancer and ensure that no one has to face cancer alone.