Connect: Learn, Laugh, Live

Name: Connect: Learn, Laugh, Live
Start: 2019-09-27T18:30:00+00:00
End: 2019-09-27T20:30:00+00:00
Location: MOHAI

September 27 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Laughter has a way of instantly connecting people and is one of the most basic and fundamental ways in which we communicate as human beings. One of the many benefits of laughter and humor is the power to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. Crisis Connections’ annual fundraising event will celebrate how the power of laughter and humor can promote healing in our community. Crisis Connections connects individuals to critical resources and helps them to prevent a crisis, are there in the moment of crisis, and follow up with resources and support after crisis.

Connect: Learn, Laugh, Live will be held at the MOHAI on Friday, September 27, 2019 from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Guests enjoy food and libations while learning about Crisis Connection’s programs and finding ways to connect through laughter. We are very excited to be showcasing a comedian Emmett Montgomery and other entertainers as we use laughter and humor to promote positive healing.

Sponsorships underwrite the cost of the event so all donations made that evening go directly toward supporting Crisis Connections’ services. Sponsoring our event gives you the opportunity to showcase your business and communicate your support to 500+ prominent King County residents, business leaders, philanthropists, and government officials.

Interested in sponsoring our event? Check out our sponsorship packet!

Download Sponsorship Packet

Emcee

Awardee

Elisa Jaffe

Click for Elisa's bio.

Elisa Jaffe is well known to both TV viewers and radio listeners in Western Washington. Elisa joined the KOMO News team in 1987. She was born in Niagara Falls, New York but fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and never left. Elisa has been a field reporter, tv news anchor, host and executive producer of KOMO's daily television talk show Northwest Afternoon, morning host on 570 KVI, and currently anchors drive time on KOMO News Radio.

Elisa has earned an Edward R. Murrow award and multiple Emmy Awards and her radio newscast has earned Associated Press Awards. She's interviewed a who's who of newsmakers from presidents to movie stars, rockers to royalty, serial killers to secretaries of state. Elisa launched KOMO TV's first hour-long morning newscast and her live reporting of traffic started the Seattle market's use of Department of Transportation cameras to cover commute conditions on TV newscasts.

Before coming to KOMO, Elisa served as an anchor and reporter at WATE-TV in Knoxville, TN. She earned her Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia. When not offering her skills to non-profits, Elisa enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling, painting, cooking, attending plays and concerts, and hanging with her 3 dogs and sassy-mouthed rescue parrot.

Councilmember Sally Bagshaw

Click for Councilmember Bagshaw's bio.

Sally Bagshaw, Seattle City Councilmember since 2010, chairs the Finance and Neighborhoods Committee. She is dedicated to supporting Seattle as a welcoming and Age-Friendly city, focusing on improving public health and safety; developing strong neighborhood connections; and bringing fiscal responsibility to the City budget process. Prior to City Council, Sally served as the Chief of the Civil Division for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Chair of the Allied Arts Waterfront for All Committee, and member of the Lake Forest Park City Council. She is also a pilot, diver, cyclist and blue-water sailor; an outspoken advocate for equitable and inclusive community engagement, gun responsibility, and STEM education for girls; and a doting grandmother.

Special Guests

Emmett Montgomery

Click for Emmett's bio.

Emmett Montgomery is a Seattle based comedian and storyteller and has been voted by the readers of Seattle Weekly as Seattle's Best Comic 2015, 2017 and 2018 (it wasn't a category in 2017) and was one of the top 100 on season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Emmett believes that the best comedy is based in community, kindness and weirdness and produces, hosts, and curates the comedy showcase Joketellers' Union at Clockout Lounge on Wednesdays, the experimental basement show, The Magic Hat at the Rendezvous on Mondays, and the celebrated variety show Weird and Awesome with Emmett Montgomery at Annex Theatre every first Sunday of the month. In addition to stand-up, he enjoys doing neat things like telling sad stories on podcasts, giving color commentary at indie pro wrestling shows, teaching storytelling and public speaking workshops for the formerly homeless, and putting on footie pajamas with Santa Claus faces for feet and educating people about the fun nightmare of Christmas as Sugar Plum Gary for his critically acclaimed cosmic horror holiday show. Mr. Montgomery lives in Seattle with his wife, who is beautiful and his 13-year-old daughter who is an elderly Chihuahua.

Bart Sumner

Click for Bart's bio.

Bart Sumner is a professional actor, screenwriter, and improvisational comedy teacher and performer currently living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife Leslie, and daughter Abby. His 10-year-old son, David, died in 2009 from a severe brain injury suffered at football practice. He is the founder and CEO of HEALING IMPROV, which provides Comedy Improv Grief Workshops to people struggling with finding the road forward after loss. He has spoken and presented nationally on the subject of grief with The Compassionate Friends USA and the Bereaved Parents of the USA. He is the author of the book HEALING IMPROV: A JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF TO LAUGHTER. He is a contributing writer for TheGriefToolbox.com, OpenToHope.com, OptionB.com and HelloGrief.com, and other online sources. Healing Improv can be reached at any time at help@healing-improv.org and on Facebook and Twitter.