KAILUA KONA, HAWAII – Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse & The Frisky Seal announced today plans to host a 2-night, 2-show comedy festival featuring 5 stand-up comics from around the islands to assist service members who have been injured in the line of duty. All proceeds from the Big Island Comedy Fest! will be donated to the nonprofit organization Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), and will support a full range of programs and services for this generation of injured veterans and their families.
Over 47,000 servicemen and women have been injured in the recent military conflicts. In addition to the physical wounds, it is estimated as many as 400,000 service members live with the invisible wounds of war including combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Another 320,000 are believed to have experienced a traumatic brain injury while on deployment.
WWP’s 18 programs and services are uniquely structured to nurture the mind and body, and encourage economic empowerment and engagement.
2 shows: Fri. Nov. 29, Sat. Nov. 30 – 7:30pm – Featuring 5 comedians each night from the islands: Michael C. Hall of Oahu, Chino LaForge of Maui, Kaleo Naiga of Oahu, Aaron Sheehan of the Big Island, Kristen Sprague of the Big Island –Tickets: $25 presale, $30 at the door. There is a 2-drink minimum with a portion going to WWP. Also a silent auction will be auctioning off products and services from local businesses with all proceeds going to WWP. Tickets can be purchased at Soundwave Music in the Old Industrial Area and Music Exchange in the King Kamehameha Mall.
Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse hosted a lanai sunset dinner for 10 Wounded Warriors in October, and is a proud supporter of our troops putting themselves in harm’s way. Event organizer, John Ruiz Jr., is a volunteer and fundraiser (and USAF veteran) for the Kona VFW Post 12122, and the West Hawaii Special Olympics delegation. A 5-year Special Olympics’ coach, and is co-organizer of the 2012 & 2013 Special Olympics Bus Pull Competition.
Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse and the Frisky Seal are the paramount pubs in Kona for beer lovers. Now it’s the place for comedy too!
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org