AROUND TOWN

JOKING WITH A CAUSE

Comedy benefit puts smiles on JVS leaders.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

"I appreciate their programs with
hree of the nation's top
the homeless of Detroit — a suffer-
comedians, made famous on
ing population right now," said
the NBC reality show Last
Daniel Rosenbaum of Southfield.
Comic Standing, gave hysterical per-
Guests enjoyed hors d'ouevres,
formances at a benefit for JVS, the
desserts and a chance to meet
nonprofit Southfield-based
the stars of the March 12
human service organization
show The guys getting all
that is a major provider of
the laughs were boisterous
career development, employ-
Rob Cantrell, Jewish
ment, vocational rehabilita-
Bostonian Gary Gulman and
tion, senior adult and youth
Alonzo Bodden, the
services.
RONIT P INTO
$250,000
grand prize win-
More than 1,400 guests
COLUM NIST
ner on the TV show. The
filled Detroit's Fox Theatre
comedians, who flew in from Los
for the Last Comic Standing
Angeles, joked about everything
Reunion, raising $200,000 for JVS.
from drugs to mothers to politics.
The funds will serve more than
Spotted cackling in the crowd
29,000 unemployed job seekers and
were Eric Michaels, JVS board mem-
individuals with severe disabilities.

T

ber Bobbi Toll and her husband,
Sheldon, all of Bloomfield Hills; JVS
board member Arnold Mikon of
Huntington Woods; and Thelma,
Daniel, Rebecca and Leah Rosen-
baum, all of Southfield. Leah is JVS
executive vice president and COO.
The event had seven major spon-
sors: Standard Federal of Troy,
Kenwall Steel of Dearborn,
Huntington Bank of Troy, Forbes
Company of Southfield, Edward C.
Levy Co. of Detroit, Lisa and Brian
Meer of West Bloomfield, Rock
Financial of Farmington Hills and
Bleznak Real Estate of Farmington
Hills.
Event co-chairs were Lee and Jill
Hurwitz of Birmingham; Rachel

Stern and Joshua Opperer and
Rachel and Jeffrey Levine, all of
West Bloomfield; and Beth and
Joshua Mondry and Jennifer and
Paul Silverman, all of Franklin.
"Our bottom line is connecting peo-
ple to jobs so they can realize their life
potential and live in dignity," said JVS
President and CEO Barbara
Nurenberg, of Bloomfield Hills.
"The most important aspect is the
remarkably dignified manner in
which we serve people in the most
undignified circumstances," said
David Foltyn of Birmingham, who
with his wife, Elyse, chaired the
event.

❑

Daniel, Thelma and Rebecca

Rosenbaum, all of Southfield%

\

Event, % ' chair Paul Si

Franklidind Stefan Wa

Steven Miesowicz and Beth

Michael and Erica Yaker of West Bloomfield

Roche#er Hills

Gotthelf, both of Birmingham

and Eric Michaels of Bloomfield Hills

4-

Event chairs David and Elyse

Beth and

oltyn of Birmingham

p

Renee

Mikon of

Huntington

Woods

JVS board member Bobbi Toll and

her husband, Sheldon, of

Bloomfield Hills

tive Vice President and COO Leah Rosenbaum o

e
Harder and Frani Victor, both of West Bloomfi\d