group workouts, and comedy shows. All of these events have been put together in the past to benefit the club and raise money to continue their services. Some events are held annually. Gilda’s Club Chicago hosts a yearly teen essay contest that aims to help high school students who are battling cancer or have a connection to it. This essay contest is supposed to help those young people find themselves in a creative way. In 2000, Northwestern University held a dance marathon that raised almost $400,000 for the Chicago club. In 2009, Gilda's Club Metro Detroit hosted its first annual "Bras for a Cause" fundraising event. The event features a live and silent auction for crafted bras that are also worn by breast cancer survivors in a runway fashion show. In 2018, "Bras for a Cause" raised almost a million dollars. A “Night of a Thousand Noogies” is an event hosted by the Chicago club annually. The Second City Improv Club participates in the event by performing a unique improv comedy show. The night is filled with sketches, a silent auction, food, and drinks. The event raises money used to support more than 300 free activities each month. The attendees of the event must wear all red in honor of Gilda’s Club. In 2016, the event saw close to 250 attendees. Each ticket was sold for $75 and VIP tickets were sold for $125. By the end of the night, Gilda’s Club raised over $50,000. Actor George Wendt, famously known from Cheers, hosted a benefit in 2017 that allowed people who he had worked with in the entertainment industry to roast him. His nephew, Jason Sudeikis, emceed the event that raised money for Gilda's Club Chicago, as well as for the Second City Improv Club. In honor of Gilda’s Club Chicago's 20th anniversary, they held a party and awards dinner to celebrate serving more than 45,000 people and raising over $25 million. Gilda's Club Grand Rapids hosts LaughFest, an annual comedy stand-up festival to raise money for the club. 2020 will be LaughFest's 10th anniversary. Locations Gilda's Club serves communities across the United States and Canada. Some locations include: Chicago, Illinois New York City Detroit, Michigan Twin Cities, Minnesota Quad Cities South Florida Grand Rapids, Michigan Louisville, Kentucky Middle Tennessee South Jersey Kansas City, Missouri Greater Philadelphia St. Louis, Missouri Rochester, New York Toronto, Ontario, Canada Madison, Wisconsin See also