Katrina ... the After Laugh; Healing With the World's Greatest Medicine - Laughter

Katrina ... the After Laugh; Healing With the World's Greatest Medicine - Laughter

NEW YORK, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Fight back with humor! That is the motto of "Katrina ... the after laugh," a hip 48-hour Web-a-Thon that is raising money for hurricane survivors. Scheduled September 16, 2005- September 18, 2005, "Katrina ... the after laugh," will feature 50+ comedians, including many seasoned vets of late-night TV, HBO and Pay-Per-View. Comics will perform stand-up in two-hour shifts at the 26+ Helen Mills Theater, 137-139 W. 26th St., with special remote from The Comic Strip, 1528 2nd Ave., throughout the weekend. Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross.

Executive producer Andre Reams and Enrich America, an organization that creates innovative ways to fund charities, are coordinating the event. Telecast on the Internet for 48 hours, viewers pay a $25 membership fee to enter http://www.enrichamerica.com/. Membership guarantees access to the live Web-a-Thon, as well as access to archival footage of the show for the next 28 days. "It's like a telethon on the Web. Instead of a pledge, it's a Web membership that helps survivors," says Reams. "If laughter is the best medicine, then through laughter, we hope to get 400,000 Web hits. It's a fun, positive way for people to help Katrina survivors."

Comedians are also available for interviews and will participate in instant messenger chats in front of a studio audience. "This is an amazing effort, a live, ongoing 48-hour event," says Reams. "No breaks. No down time. It's all comedy all the time."

The comics are donating their time to the project, and Reams calls their generosity "extraordinary." To bolster participation, "Katrina ... the after laugh" can also be seen on large screens at the 26+ Helen Mills Theater, 137- 139 W. 26 St., throughout the weekend. Admission is free, but the theater will only admit 100 people, per two hour show, on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Web-a-Thon kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Helen Mills Theater. After the first show, there is a VIP reception from 9-11 p.m. by invitation only. Stars from film, television and sports are expected to attend. Afterward, the theater re-opens to the public.

"Even if someone misses the live 'Katrina ... the after laugh,' they can still join the site," says Reams. "Anyone can sign up in the 28 days after we debut. Then, they can continue future membership on a pay-per-view basis." To raise additional funds for the Red Cross, the Web site will also sell merchandise. Says Reams: "Let the healing begin."

For more information about the American Red Cross, please call 1-800-HELP- NOW or email info@usa.redcross.org.

Source: Enrich America

CONTACT: Norah Lawlor, Lawlor Media Group, +1-212-967-6900, norah@lawlormediagroup.com

Web site: http://www.enrichamerica.com/

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