"Finally, 'funny' and 'leukemia' can go in the same sentence"

It's okay to laugh with leukemia, but not at it. That's what Comix Caf?(c) and local comedians are setting out to do.

Comix Caf?(c) will be hosting its annual Laugh for Leukemia event Wednesday, in hopes of raising funds through improvisational entertainment.

Laugh for Leukemia has been running every year for the past eight years. Members of Comedy Sportz have been acting in the show since comedian Randy Reese took over the caf?(c)'s ownership six years ago.

"Eight years ago I joined the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and was asked to raise $3,800. Each year we sponsor a child and do marathons," said Evan Kantor, the event's organizer. "I have to come up with creative ways to raise money and this is one of them."

For $20, patrons can enjoy free beer and food from the Old Towne Bistro while enjoying a show put on by charismatic comedians.

"Improv comedy is sort of like the show 'Whose Line is it Anyway,' " said Reese, who also performs in the show. "There are two improv teams that compete against each other, and the audience determines who wins."

Comedy Sportz is a match between two groups with a referee present. There are usually seven to 12 games played per match. A game is picked from one of over a hundred improv games.

The "Shakespeare" game dictates that the participants take audience theme requests and play them out in a "Shakespearean" style.

Comedy Sportz is a national chain that started in Milwaukee in 1984 by founder Dick Chudnow. Reese founded Comedy Sportz of Buffalo in 1993. It gained national attention when it became popular in Dublin in 2003.

With each year that passes, Laugh for Leukemia exceeds the $3,800 goal. The show had a successful year last year, raising $5,000 for leukemia and lymphoma research. Comix Caf?(c) also raised $5,000 earlier this year when it held an AIDS benefit.

"When Randy took over Comix Caf?(c), he was fully committed to helping me raise the money," Kantor said.

Reese has a personal connection to the charity event.

"My dad passed away two years ago from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, so this show is really special to me," he said.

The Leukemia Lymphoma society was founded in 1949, and since then they have raised more than $360 million for research, specifically targeting blood cancers. The society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to this cause.

"Where else can you get free food from Old Towne Bistro, free beer and a Chinese auction for $20?" Kantor said. "I'm so proud we can do this and it doesn't cost us anything-all we have to do is donate."

It has been predicted that there will be at least 22,570 leukemia deaths in the United States in 2005. People like Reese and Kantor make a difference in people's lives through creative methods that fund research for the deadly disease.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner catered by Old Towne Bistro, followed by cocktails provided by Comix Caf?(c). Beer, wine, and soda are included. At 7:30 p.m., the improv show performed by Comedy Sportz begins.