media experts raises $127,958 for local non-profit On Our Own
Last night at Club Soda, Joey Elias and the Comedy All-Stars delivered a hilarious show that not only made the audience roar with laughter, it also set a new fundraising record for Media Experts’ annual comedy benefit show. The 11th edition of Media Experts presents: An evening of Hilarity for the Benefit of On Our Own (O3) raised an incredible, $127,958, a true testament to the immense success that can happen when a collective of people come together for a worthy cause.
On Our Own is a Montreal-based organization which provides support, education and affordable housing to young parents in peril and their at-risk children in need. 100% of the money raised at last night’s event will fund O3’s numerous programs that help these young vulnerable families in our community achieve a better quality of life by developing the life skills they need to live independently.
The talented lineup of entertainers joining Joey onstage, all of whom were donating their time for the cause, included host and Montreal radio legend Ted Bird, and comedians Oren Shbiro, David Acer, and Marianne Mandrusiak. A boisterous crowd of over 300 filled the cabaret setting of Club Soda, marking the show’s first return to the beloved Montreal venue in two years.
“The incredible success of our 11th edition is proof that the work that O3 does continues to move and inspire our community, “says Mark Sherman, Founder of Media Experts and event organizer. “We realize that times are tough, and so we find ourselves even more touched by the generosity of our talent, media partners and donors. Every donation literally changes the trajectory of the lives of real families for the better. By allowing these women to become empowered and independent at formative moments in their journeys, we not only better their daily lives, but also set them and their babies up to be the best version of themselves.”
Fueled by sponsorships from the Canadian media community, private donations and Montreal comedy fans of all stripes, this year’s donations bring the grand total raised to date over the past 11 years to $ $966,302– funds that are the primary source of funding for O3’s programming, helping at-risk Montreal families transition from striving to thriving.
“An immense thank you on behalf of all the families and staff at O3. These donations will allow us to restart our in-person programming stronger than ever and restore our community, so our families have all the resources and support they need to thrive.” says Amanda Murphy, Director, On Our Own. “Knowing that so many people stepped up to help us by supporting this wonderful event, even as we’re all still feeling the effects of the pandemic, is both motivating and inspiring.”
The tradition is set to continue for a 12th edition next year. Media Experts is optimistic that the show will not only go on but be bigger and better with each passing year.
About On Our Own (O3)
Since 2005, On Our Own has worked within the community to provide quality housing to young, low income, underserved families. In tandem, this empowers parents to take on present and future challenges successfully, be they financial, personal or with respect to their parenting skills.
O3 assists families in planning for their future by offering them work, training, and educational opportunities, workshops to develop life skills and programs to support and strengthen the bond between parent and child. O3’s goals include providing parents with the necessary tools to increase family stability, decrease isolation, exclusion and homelessness, and grant access to preventative services to break the cycle of poverty. O3 helps young parents take charge of their life – one child, and one family, at a time. Learn more at o3onourown.com.