MAY CONTAIN NUTS—WESPARK CANCER SUPPORT CENTER’S NIGHT OF COMEDY

But the evening was so much more than that title!

The show emcee, comedian Alonzo Bodden. I love that each performer’s name was on the big screen behind them, so we never had to wonder where we were in the program. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one above.

I had not been to one of WeSparks’ annual fundraisers in eight years, (a number several of us there could not believe,) so I was very happy to finally pay a return visit. And once again, it was a perfect event from beginning to end!

Before I laud the food and performances, let me explain the lovely purpose of this classy evening. The May Contain Nuts “Night of Comedy” benefits the WeSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks. WeSpark is a wonderful Los Angeles organization that provides free services to cancer patients, survivors, their families, and even their friends. I love kindness like that.

Just a tiny part of the silent auction. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The event took place at the Skirball Cultural Center on Mulholland, which catered one of the best dinners my friend Laura and I have had in a long time! Seriously. I honestly think it was the best, most healthful, well-rounded meal I’ve ever had at an event! (And remember—I’ve been a restaurant critic for decades!) The dinner buffet had something for everybody, which was very thoughtful of them. (More on the fare in a minute.)

Before we dined, everyone mingled in the warmly-lit courtyard where the silent auction was set-up. There were so many awesome items to bid on, including several trips, a couple of sweet little Disney figurines, a VIP tour and luncheon at one of LA’s major studios, and even a private chef experience right in your own home!

The buffet. (I couldn’t get any pix that are free from hands–the food was so good that it never sat there alone!) Photo by Karen Salkin.

The dinner buffet was out there, as well. For the first time possibly ever, I ate everything on offer! It began with a refreshing salad of arugula, oranges, and pomegranate seeds, with a delicious and light use-as-much-as-you-like hazelnut dressing. (I’ve been dreaming of it ever since.) Next up was a pasta salad with chopped veggies and auxiliary grapefruit slices. And the grilled vegetables, (which were way too hearty to be called “veggies,”) were gorgeous. Then came the potatoes; I’m a potato gourmet, and the small round ones were perfectly crispy outside, creamy inside, and salted just right. Vegetarians could stop right there and be totally content, but we carnivores were thrilled with the beautifully-sauced chicken breasts. (And I super-appreciated that each dish had a sign on top stating exactly what it consisted of!)

After filling our plates, (which were full-sized ones, by the way, not the tiny dishes that are used at many events to try to make guests eat less, which I appreciated,) we all took them inside to our tables in the ballroom. Each table featured a duo of platters of little desserts—pecan pies, brownies, and lemon bars. I don’t eat lemon, but the first two were delish! I was glad my table was all skinny females because there were more for me! (The pretty girl next to me told she wasn’t eating any because she “has a cupcake at home!” Oysh. I had an entire babka at my house, but that didn’t deter me from scarfing the yummy on-site treats!)

My mouthwatering plate of food. To be exact–my FIRST one! Photo by Karen Salkin.

When we were all happily satiated, the show began. Comedian Alonzo Bodden handled the hosting duties masterfully once again. Two very funny comics joined him along the way. Drew Lynch, the runner-up on America’s Got Talent some years back, had us in stitches talking about his wife, (who is adorable, by the way. I know that because, shamefully, Laura and I both looked her up!) The last guy of the presentation, Maronzio Vance, was one I had never heard of, but he was quietly hilarious. He just sat in a chair and talked, slowly and deliberately, about relationships, and it could not have been funnier. He was the very last performer of the night, when it was getting late, but no one wanted his set to end.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Before the comedy, though, came the poignant segment of the evening. Jean Trebek, who, as the widow of the late Jeopardy host Alex Trebek who had passed away from cancer almost four years ago, was WeSpark’s honoree this year. Their daughter presented The Heart of WeSpark Heart Award to Jean, and both of them gave lovely speeches.

After that, as he did the last time I attended May Contain Nuts, Mark Walberg (the TV host, not the movie star—the latter has an “h” in his name,) took the stage to raise additional funds from the audience members before the comedy began. I’m glad that I got to say a quick hi to him afterwards because we had met on a flight to New York back in the day, when I was doing my TV show, and he was working in the biz, too. (He had recognized me as I was boarding, introduced himself, and it turned-out that we were sitting right near each other! And then Tom Bergeron came over to say hi to Mark, so we all talked about what shows we were doing. That impromptu get-together back then made me realize that I was accepted in the hosting community, so the memory has always stayed with me.) I thank WeSpark for giving me this opportunity to remember that fun time in my life.

Mark Walberg on stage, amusingly encouraging donations from the crowd. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Even at the end of this fabulous event—after the superb dinner, the warmhearted award, the fundraising, and the comedy—it seemed that most of the assemblage was in no hurry to leave! As Laura and I were rushing to get home ourselves, (she to her kids, and me because I wanted to start writing this article right away,) she asked me why everyone was still there, even though the show had already wrapped-up. I explained that the event was so good that the guests wanted to still meet and greet and discuss. She had never seen that before! It’s truly rare in this town.

So I suggest that everyone check-out this wonderful organization, either because you and yours need them or because you want to be a good person and contribute to their life-enhancing services in any way. Or you just want to be sure to not miss the 2025 May Contain Nuts event!

Here’s the WeSPARK Cancer Support Center site: www.wespark.org.