Long Fence and Home Shares an Evening of Laughter at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

March 9, 2010

It’s not every day you get the chance to do something nice for the men and women of the Armed Forces, who sacrifice so much for us all. We’re just glad we did.

As part of our celebration of Military Appreciation Week last fall, we invited Comics on Duty to perform a two-headliner show for 300 soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

It felt so great to see the audience’s excitement as they came in, and to hear them laughing and joking with each other afterward, proving that laughter is indeed, the best medicine.Comics on Duty founder Rich Davis says comedy’s ability to break down the barriers that stress and injury can create has made it an important part of the military tradition.

“The reason the concept of live comedy for the military is so strong is if you have quality, you have ability to take someone out of their current experience,” he said. “The concept really is to make them giggle, make them chuckle, make them laugh, make their faces hurt, make their guts hurt. ”

And his comics love doing it too.

“It’s such a broad-base audience for a comic that it’s much more challenging for them to entertain,” he explained. “So if you actually succeed in entertaining them, it’s very, very rewarding.”

Phil Strambler, who coordinates special events at Walter Reed, says he’s gotten hundreds of requests for more comedy shows and hopes more local sponsors, like Long Fence and Home, will offer to step in and help. Due to the expensive medical, physical and mental therapy required for many of the soldiers at Walter Reed, he says funds are not available for very many special events.

We here at Long Fence and Home are always ready to help our heroes and will continue to offer our love and support for Walter Reed and all the local branches of the military for years to come.

The next comedy show at Walter Reed Army Medical Center is scheduled for May 2. To sponsor an event, contact Phil Strambler at 202-356-0871.