Benefit for Grayson!

My good friend, Minnesota comedian Tammy Nerby is helping to organize this very worthy event.

Please help if you can.

from Twin Cities.com

Since their 1-year-old son started chemotherapy a month ago, Jesse Aspholm and Jessica Barry have struggled to pay their bills.

Aspholm is in the Minnesota National Guard, and Barry, his wife, stays home to care for their five children, including 1-year-old Grayson, who developed a brain tumor in January.

The Farmington family takes Grayson to chemotherapy once a week at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Chemotherapy makes Grayson sick about four days a week, forcing Aspholm to take time from his Guard duties to help with the other children, Grayson’s twin sister and his other siblings who are 2, 5 and 7 years old.

It’s been “a huge cut in pay” as medical bills continue to pile up, Barry said…

These financial difficulties prompted several groups to join together.

Members of the Washington County Yellow Ribbon Network, Soldiers’ Angels and the Joke Joint Comedy Club organized “A Comedy Benefit for Grayson.” Proceeds from tickets and donations will go toward medical bills, travel expenses and child care…

The effort began when one of Barry’s hometown friends, Sharon Anderson of Warroad, Minn., shared the family’s story with Soldiers’ Angels Minnesota, a group that supports local military families.

Word spread to Minnesota comedian Tammy Nerby, a Soldiers’ Angels member who has performed stand-up for troops around the country, and to Underhill from the Yellow Ribbon Network, which also supports military families.

Nerby recruited three comics – Drew Beck, Bill Bauer and Mark Poolos – as well as the owner of the Joke Joint Comedy Club to donate their talents and the venue.

“When you put the word out and say, ‘Someone needs help,’ it’s amazing how many people will stop everything and step up,” Nerby said. “I’m blown away by it.”

The event will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Joke Joint Comedy Club. Although the goal is to help young Grayson, the jokes will be for adults only, Nerby said.

The show won’t be “squeaky clean, but none of us are dirty comics,” Nerby said. “We hope we can get a lot of people. Anything to help that family through this tough, terrible time.”

The benefit means more to the family than words can describe, Barry said. “We’ve had people we don’t even know want to help our family,” she said. “It puts us to tears.”

What: Comedy Benefit for Grayson

When: 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday

Where: Joke Joint Comedy Club, 801 Sibley Memorial Highway, near Interstate 35 and Minnesota 13, in Lilydale.

Price: $15 at www.jokejointcomedyclub.com or $20 at the door.

For others: The family has set up a separate account for donations for those who can’t attend. For information, send email to graysoncomedybenefit@gmail.com.

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5 thoughts on “Benefit for Grayson!

  1. At first glance, I thought you were promoting a benefit for Alan Grayson and feared you had gone mad. Glad to see that it is a very, very worthy cause.

  2. If you find yourself unable to attend you can send donations to:

    Grayson Barry Benefit
    Castle Rock Bank
    Box 9, Farmington, MN 55024

    Thanks so much

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