Comedy and Underpants: Fundraiser for the Undies Project Features Comic Robin Lane

As the name shows, “The Undies Project Inc.,” a serious project to help the needy with a necessity, isn’t afraid to use a little humor to get your attention.

With its upcoming “Cocktails & Comedy” fundraiser, the organization shows it’s willing to use comedy to get your contributions.

And they’re doing it in a church.

Here’s the organization’s announcement about the fundraiser, and we’ve included a sidebar about a certain aspect of the intersection of humor and undergarments:

Cocktails & Comedy, a fundraiser to benefit The Undies Project Inc. will be held on Saturday, October 14th from 7 to 10:15 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church in the Riverside section of Greenwich, featuring comedian Robin Fox.

The Undies Project is a ground breaking non-profit, set up in 2015 by Laura Delaflor and Lucy Langley. They identified a need that had never been addressed before. For those living at, or below, the poverty line, underwear is a necessity, not a luxury.

Underwear is the most under-donated and most needed item of clothing. The mission of The Undies Project is to provide new underwear to men, women and children in need to improve their lives.

Robin Fox, this years’ comedian, spent 17 years as a full time Mom and dieting. Then one day, she gave up dieting and decided to make her life long dream of being a comedian a reality.

Robin currently appears on Nickelodeon’s “NickMom Night Out.” The New Jersey native has been described as a “one-woman sitcom” and in 2013 won the Ladies of Laughter competition.

Now she headlines the Ladies of Laughter tour around the U.S. Fox has also performed for many other charity fundraisers such as those for the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Aux Délices will be catering Cocktails & Comedy, with a signature cocktail designed by Debra Ponzek. During the cocktail hour, Robert Marullo will delight the crowd with his gifted talent on the piano. Craig Jones, of Greenwich Point Marketing, as the emcee, will direct the evening.

Guests will have the opportunity to take home some amazing silent auction items that many local businesses have contributed.

As a sneak peak, the lineup includes: A cocktail party for 20 catered and staffed by Libby Coverly Cooke, a wine tasting party in your home for up to 25 guests courtesy of OneHopeWine, Broadway tickets for two, an eight-person paddle board rental from Downunder, Westport and Scuba Diving Certification lessons with Ski & Scuba Connection.

SIDEBAR:

Experts Determine ‘Underpants’ Funnier than ‘Underwear’

The Undies Project Inc. is a pretty amusing name, as charities go, but not as longstanding as the Underpants Principle of the comedy industry.

The word “underpants” has long been the preferred way for many comedians to reference underwear, according to many sources. For instance, David Nihill says in his book, Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker:

Believe it or not, some words are funnier than others and can be amusing without any given context. […] In The Sunshine Boys, Neil Simon quips, “Words with a ‘K’ in it are funny. Alka-Seltzer is funny. ‘Chicken’ is funny. All with a ‘K.’ L’s are not funny. M’s are not funny.”

Simpsons creator Matt Groening proclaimed the word underpants to be at least 15 percent funnier than underwear. Pants are funny. The name of one of Groening’s characters, Krusty the Clown, was, like many others, not created by chance. Words with ‘K’ sounds are just funnier. Comedians and comedy writers know this and use these funny-sounding words consciously. So should you.

Last year, Cocktails & Comedy was a huge success and all proceeds went to help the clients of Neighbor to Neighbor. This year the proceeds will go to help the local agencies that The Undies Project supports: Clothes to Kids of Fairfield County, Homes with Hope, Inspirica, Kids in Crisis, Kids Kloset, Mothers for Others, Neighbor to Neighbor, Open Door Shelter, Pacific House, Person-to-Person, Project Return & YWCA Domestic Abuse Services.

Along with the support of businesses that contributed auction items, Cocktails & Comedy is also being sponsored by Adelphi Contractors, Aux Délices, First Bank of Greenwich, LaBella’s Fine Wine & Spirits; Putnam Insurance Agency and Summer Rain.

• Tickets are $95. Advance purchase only, online through The Undies Project’s website.

For more information contact laura@theundiesproject.org or lucy@theundiesproject.org.