May 13, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
Adam Christing, a professional comedian in Los Angeles, is organizing a series of comedy shows to help World Vision, the international relief charity, recruit donors who make a monthly gift of $35 to sponsor a needy child overseas.
In his effort, called Laugh For a Change, Mr. Christing has persuaded seven other professional comedians to join him in performing their routines, with the goal of signing up 10,000 new sponsors this year for World Vision. He said he came up with the idea because he wants to help lift children overseas out of poverty while at the same providing some comic relief for domestic audiences who have been sorely challenged in tough economic times.
The “humanitarian humorists” are offering the comedy performances for church congregations and community groups—a fitting audience since World Vision is a Christian relief organization, and many of its donors are regular churchgoers.
The comedians are providing the shows at greatly reduced rates, doing their routines for 10 percent of their normal fees and, in some cases, not charging anything.
In one of Mr. Christing’s first shows last weekend, he performed for about 350 members of the First Baptist Church of Los Altos near San Francisco on Saturday night, promoting child sponsorship for World Vision. He returned the following morning to make a similar plea during church services. Twenty-two church members signed up to became sponsors.
