Share a laugh, help a child
Toys for Tots hosts comedy fundraiser
By Paula Brewer
Staff Writer
CARIBOU, Maine — Local Toys for Tots organizers are aiming to make the holidays brighter for area children and leave donors laughing at the same time.
The Meo Bosse Detachment, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots will host a special fundraiser comedy performance this Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. Those attending are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event.
According to Rudy St. Peter, area TFT coordinator, donations are down this year, and the unit needs everyone’s help to provide toys for needy children in the area. They hope this evening of laughter and fun will be something for everyone to enjoy.
Appearing onstage will be The County’s own Keagan Page of Washburn, along with Moody McCarthy of New York and Tuck Tucker of Portland.
Page, a 2014 graduate of Washburn District High School, most recently appeared at Unity College Nov. 15 and toured Maine this summer doing stand-up. He has won two awards for stand-up comedy, as well as an all-festival award in drama during his high school years.
Page said Tuesday he will be onstage first, in the middle of the program and last. His comedic specialties are Maine humor, including the Aroostook County experience. He also touches on dating and relationships, tech support and amusement parks.
Though he hasn’t met the other two comedians personally, he has chatted with them via email. He has high hopes for the evening.
“It’s pretty important, because it’s a local thing, so it has a pull on me,” he said. “It benefits people in my community, so it’s great to be doing something I’m good at to help people I might even know, and it’s a time for me to give back to the community that’s given so much to me.”
Page said he is excited about being at CPAC, especially since his mentor, Tim Sample, performed there this summer and the two had dinner at Burger Boy.
“He gave me a call one day and we talked,” he recalled. “He helped me with my career, and that’s special for me because I’ve looked up to him since I was a little kid. He was the first comedian I ever heard.”
Page hopes as many people as possible can come enjoy Saturday’s performance. “It’s a fairly inexpensive show to get into — three comedians for the price of one — plus, people can help out the less fortunate at the same time.
“All you have to do is sit there and have some good laughs, and you get to give back to your community. Everybody’s a winner here.”
McCarthy is a stand-up comedian who lives in New York with his wife, daughter and step-dog, his biography states. He has made numerous television appearances, including “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and is scheduled to appear on the Conan O’Brien show next Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Tucker hails from Portland and appears most often at his “home club” in Portland, but also takes his act across the country. He participated this summer in the Maine Comedy Festival at the Bethel Inn Resort. According to his website, “Combine his verbal wit and physical comedy and you have a recipe for falling-off-your-chair funny.”
Tickets for the benefit show are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For tickets or more information, call St. Peter at 834-3504.
