INNISFAIL – It was more than a decade ago the annual Relay for Life fundraising and cancer awareness event had ceased operations in town when Danny Rieberger and his family had a notion.
“When they stopped doing it we thought, ‘what else could we do in Innisfail?”’ said Rieberger.
His niece Trish Proctor had heard of the Boob Tour; stand-up comedy shows that partner with local organizations to create comedy night fundraisers to fight cancer with laughter.
This mission for Rieberger and Proctor is deeply personal.
“Our family has a large history of cancer. Out of the nine people in my mom's family, seven of them have had a cancer diagnosis. Two of them had the cancer diagnosis twice,” said Proctor, who is the chair of the Innisfail Boob Tour.
Proctor also knew there was a contact person in Calgary who could help bring the Boob Tour to town.
The call was made, and more than a decade later the 11th annual Boob Tour for Innisfail will be held Tuesday, April 16 at the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104.
The annual event had been cancelled from 2020 to 2022 by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year the 10th annual event, the first after three years of cancellations, had a record-setting turnout with a complete sell-out of 300 tickets sold at $30 each. Combined with the evening’s silent and live auctions, more than $15,000 was raised.
The event had never before raised even $10,000. Innisfail’s last Boob Tour in 2019 raised about $6,000.
“We were so happy that it was sold out because we have no expenses,” said Rieberger, the treasurer of the Innisfail Boob Tour. “The more people we can get there, and the more we can get them to spend, the more we can send to the Alberta Cancer Foundation for the Red Deer Cancer Centre.”
Both Rieberger and Proctor say this year’s organizing drive for the 11th annual Boob Tour is going well.
Once again Innisfail’s Field & Forge Brewing Co. is the big sponsor of the event.
“They're bringing all the beer samples as well as desserts,” said Proctor, adding there will also be 300 tickets available this year at $30 each. “We'd love to match what we did last year. Ticket sales are a little slower this year but we're really hopeful that we'll match last year.”
The event will feature two stand-up comics; Edmonton-based Kevin Singh and Brian Stollery, a Calgary-based comedian who has been a fixture in Canadian comedy for more than 20 years.
Tickets for the show are available at the Innisfail legion or by e-transfer at [email protected].
Doors at the legion open at 6 p.m., with the Boob Tour show starting at 7 p.m.
For more information call or text Proctor at 403-357-9191.
