Yesterday Healing Improv received an unexpected surprise in the mail from “The Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Fund” of Coastal Community Foundation. It was a grant for $10K to further our mission of bringing Comedy Improv Grief Workshops to people struggling with grief. It was completely unexpected, and an amazing end of year surprise. If you would like to join Mr. Colbert in supporting Healing Improv and benefit from an end of year tax break, you can make a donation through Pay Pal here and they will match an additional 1% of all donations made through December 31st, 2014.
Stephen Colbert Gives Big Boost to Grand Rapids’ Healing Improv Group
A tiny nonprofit group that brings laughter to grieving people was stunned to receive a $10,000 grant Stephen Colbert, the satirist and comedian who created “The Colbert Report.”
“It came out of no place,” said Bart Sumner, an actor and writer who formed Healing Improv in 2012. When his wife called to tell him the news, he said, “I nearly drove off Ada Drive. It absolutely blew me away.”
Healing Improv runs comedy improv workshops that aim to relieve stress, provide emotional connections and laughter for people who are grieving. Sumner created the organization after his 10-year-old son, David, died in 2009. He realized that performing and teaching helped him survive that devastating loss.
“Laughter and tears are right next to each other in the emotional scale,” Sumner said.
The group operates on a small scale. The workshops are free. Sumner donates his time. It has raised about $4,000 in the past 18 months to cover some travel expenses and rental space.
The $10,000 grant makes a big difference for the group, Sumner said. It will help pay for advertising to reach more participants and more travel costs to partner with groups requesting workshops.
“This will really allow us to spread our net out and help people all over the place,” Sumner said.
Max Werner, a member of Colbert’s writing staff, is familiar with Healing Improv – and Sumner said he is the one who recommended the West Michigan group for the grant.
Full Article: Mlive.com
The Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Fund |