South Florida Laughs Out Loud to Support Scleroderma
Thursday, January 15, 2015
By: Christina Relacion

Scleroderma Foundation Southeast Florida Chapter holds benefit comedy event.

More than $153,000 was raised at the “Laughing Out Loud for Scleroderma” event to benefit the Scleroderma Foundation’s Southeast Florida Chapter. The fundraiser featured acclaimed comedian Dom Irrera and actor Jason Alexander. Scleroderma supporters packed The Improv at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, in August.

Dom Irrera has previously performed on “The Tonight Show,” The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Daily Show” and other nationally televised programs. Jason Alexander, best known for his role as George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” has been a longtime supporter of the chapter since his late sister had the disease.

The Motwani family organized the event. Dev Motwani, one of the event co-chairs told a local newspaper that the event was a way to honor his father who died from scleroderma in 1994. Motwani told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "We know that scleroderma is nothing to laugh about, but we want to have fun while helping this important cause. This is one of the most debilitating diseases which can affect anyone…our goal is to increase awareness of this disease so that people know what some of the warning signs are, and can arm themselves with the appropriate questions to ask their health practitioners."

A special thanks to the organizing committee:
Anshu Motwani, Dev Motwani, Nitin Motwani, Ramola Motwani, Jenna Ingraham, Kathy Koch, Keith Arnold, Jerry Lance, Arnold Brownstein, Jack Melnicoff, Jeb Bush, Jr., Kenneth Stiles, Ruth Greenspan, Randall Vitale, Greg Haile.