Belly Laughs

Comedian Jeremy Corbett hosted Gastro-Comique on Friday 7th May at SKYCITY with the cast of current events comedy show ‘7 Days’ entertaining guests over a 3-course lunch and charity auction fund-raiser for Make-A-Wish…

Comedian Jeremy Corbett hosted Gastro-Comique on Friday 7th May at SKYCITY with the cast of current events comedy show ‘7 Days’ entertaining guests over a 3-course lunch and charity auction fund-raiser for Make-A-Wish.

Tables of corporate groups, lawyers, businessmen and women and not a few TV3 executives paid $90 a head for a sumptous lunch of sesame-crusted tuna, chicken breast and risotto and dessert petit fours (below) to fundraise for the foundation and not least to enjoy the comedy show.

Below: Elegant ladies who lunch.

Make-A-Wish NZ grants wishes to kids with life-threatening medical conditions, with the average cost of a wish coming in at $6,500. Worldwide, the charitable organisation has run for thirty years and a wish is granted around the world every 35 minutes.

Their Director showed a slideshow of children receiving their wishes which brought a tear to every eye; some were very humble wishes such as a princess bedroom or getting a puppy, through to meeting a favourite celebrity or sports team, or flying in a helicopter.

Wish recipient Kirsty suffered from bone cancer and spent more of a year in hospital, and was granted a song writing and recording session with NZ artist Savage. She performed another song, The Climb, beautifully for guests. Kirsty got laughs of her own when she suggested business people present come over to table 12 and offer her a business internship, as she’s currently at Auckland Uni studying business. We beat she did get some offers, too.

Less vocal was another gift recipient, young Ryan who was invited back after upstaging Jeremy Corbett last year and rendering him speechless. Sadly Ryan got a touch of pre-teen stage fright this year and answered in "yep" and "nah" which Jeremy admirably wasn’t fazed by.

Auctions after lunch saw thousands raised from sponsors including hotel trips to Terrace Downs, SKYCITY Grand and Dine, Aston Martin loan weekends, a Fujitsu heat pump, a signed cricket bat, and a signed Alingi book that made us pleasantly surprised with the amount someone valued it at!

Guests bid on a TV3 News studio filming experience.

To close the afternoon, the cast of 7 Days staged a version of their news and current events show, joined by two UK comedians in town for the International Comedy Festival. The UK comic had his own stag do the night before and wasn’t in the best form. It is apparent they must edit the TV show considerably to get it as funny as they do, as much of the live material failed to get laughs from the lunch crowd and other bits were total gold.

Below: Megan and Jeanette with our whoopy cushions.

The lovelies on table 25.

Unfortunately Thread didn’t win the lottery for the Lucy & the Powder Room pamper experience raffle – but what an amazing prize.

Below: with the cast of 7 Days.

Someone jumps up on stage to offer Jeremy Corbett their own glass of wine when he needed a drink.

Ranging from heartfelt and bittersweet stories of suffering and joy right through to ribald jokes about politicians, it was a significant event; I personally cried- and then laughed- making it a very special day.

Team Two, the losers.

See what you can do to support Make-A-Wish and find out more at their website www.makeawish.org.nz.

You, too, can grant somebody’s wishes.

By Megan Robinson, 7 May 2010.