It’s likely that you’ve never heard of fusing live comedy with saving lives. 2020 has created new realities and this was a really positive one, bringing out the best in people to impact their community.
The need for blood is high right now and many donation locations are shut down. Getting people to come out to donate is also a challenge. Well, one hard charging Marine Corps veteran got an idea and employed an “Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.” mindset to negotiate obstacles and ultimately complete the mission. Jennifer Brofer is the Post 43 Historian and also the blood drive coordinator, working with the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center to run the donation operation.
Ms. Brofer worked with comedy professional Ahmed Al-Kadri to host, as well as to book a lineup of comedians for this unique show. The show turned out to be a great outlet for the performers, as many haven’t been able to work their craft since mid March. The comics and the donors who made up the audience couldn’t have known what to expect. That’s a potentially tough room, but it turned out to be a welcoming and appreciative audience. At least a few of the comedians were also seen donating blood, some for the first time. Hero Comics!
Safety being important, called for certain measures to be enacted. Temperatures were taken upon entering the space and again, right before donating. The chairs for blood collection and the viewing seats for watching the show, were all distanced and people were required to wear masks.
Ms. Brofer offered her assessment of the experience:
“I’m proud of how the first-of-its-kind blood drive comedy show turned out! We collected 31 lifesaving units, including 28 pints of whole blood and 3 units of platelets! I’m grateful to everyone who supported the blood drive, including the local comedians who provided entertainment to our donors and medical staff. Our next blood and platelet drive is scheduled for Sunday, September 20th!”
Author: Jeff Daly
Jeff Daly grew up in Kalamazoo, MI before joining the Marine Corps. After his service he went to the small, private, liberal arts school Kalamazoo College, where he studied Economics and Political Science. Jeff serves The American Legion is several capacities. He is on the Department Training Committee and is an instructor for California Legion College. He is junior/immediate past Commander of Hollywood Post 43. He has been a District officer and served two terms as the Department Membership Director. He is also the immediate past President of the National American Legion College Alumni Associate. Outside of the Legion, Jeff serves on the Military Affairs for Los Angeles Local SAG-AFTRA. You can keep up with Jeff's thoughts on veterans issues by subscribing to his podcast. That is hosted at http://anchor.fm/dalydose. From there you can get links to b subscribe on your favorite music & podcast app.