If laughter is the best medicine, then Laugh Your Face Off! offers a welcomed dose for trigeminal neuralgia patients. The funny philanthropic event was created in 2015 by WGN-TV’s Pat Tomasulo and his wife, Amy, a TN patient, to support the Facial Pain Research Foundation, the only organization in the world dedicated solely to funding research aimed at curing trigeminal neuralgia and related neuropathic facial pain. Now celebrating its eleventh year on April 25, the fundraiser, in collaboration with Presenting Partner Northwestern Medicine, is on its way to surpassing $5 million raised.
Tomasulo, a WGN-TV Morning News sports anchor of two decades and himself a standup comic, has enlisted the talent of a top-notch roster of comedic pals plus an impressive list of over 100 sponsors to make Laugh Your Face Off! a true party with a purpose. With an expected attendance of close to 1,000, the annual affair moves to the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier this year for its largest event to date. A limited number of tickets remain — grab yours before they're gone.
Laugh Your Face Off! will also feature a digital silent auction open to anyone, anywhere — no ticket required. The auction opens April 13 and runs through the night of the event, April 25 — mark your calendar and visit our website starting April 13 to browse and bid. All proceeds benefit the Facial Pain Research Foundation. Past auctions have featured a booze cruise with NHL legend Chris Chelios on his private yacht, a sommelier experience at RPM Seafood with WGN legend Tom Skilling, and a behind-the-scenes visit to Barstool Sports to sit in with Big Cat as he records his "Yak" podcast. This year's lineup promises to be the best yet.
Comics Adam Gilbert, Kevin Bozeman, Kyle Ayers, Megan Gailey and Tomasulo himself will take the stage at the Aon Grand Ballroom.
“When Amy and I started Laugh Your Face Off in 2015, we never imagined we’d be creating what’s now Chicago’s biggest comedy fundraiser. I also never imagined that we’d keep selling out with my name at the top of the bill. But here we are. We’re so excited to take things to the next level.”
Amy is one of the estimated 400,000 people in the US who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia (tri-GEM-uh-nul nuh-RAL-zhuh), a nerve disorder doctors classify as one of the worst pains known to mankind, so much that it is often referred to as “the suicide disease.” The Facial Pain Research Foundation (FPRF) was established in 2011 to find a cure for trigeminal neuralgia and related neuropathic facial pain, while also developing therapies to permanently stop other nerve-generated facial pains and diseases.
“The severity of trigeminal neuralgia pain is difficult to convey unless you’ve seen its impact firsthand, as I do every week,” said Dr. Babak S. Jahromi, a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon and the regional chief of Northwestern Medicine Neurosurgery. “Through continued collaboration and investment in science, we are moving closer to therapies that don’t just manage pain, but change the outlook for patients living with this disease. Northwestern Medicine is proud to collaborate with organizations like the Facial Pain Research Foundation who are advancing this important work.”
The Facial Pain Research Foundation (FPRF) was established in 2011 with one singular mission: Find a CURE for trigeminal neuralgia and related neuropathic facial pain, while also developing therapies to permanently stop other nerve-generated facial pains and diseases. We endeavored to be an all-volunteer organization, allowing us to avoid the bureaucracy that often plagues similar organizations, giving us the ability to approve and accelerate research quickly, and ensuring that 95¢ of every dollar pledged to us goes directly to our research. To learn more about the Foundation, visit here.