A man that many know gave a special performance at the Memorial Opera House in mid-November. Jim Gaffigan, actor, author, father of five, and one of the most well-recognized comedians in our country and beyond, came back to Northwest Indiana to help raise funds for the Hospice of the Calumet Area.
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Hospice of the Calumet Area is a nonprofit organization that carries out the mission of helping individuals in their last stage of life as well as supporting the families of these individuals. Doctors, nurses, trained volunteers, social workers, and counselors all come together to make sure that the needs of these individuals are met, that their lives are fully cherished.
The Gaffigan Family has been dedicated to helping the Hospice of the Calumet Area’s mission for over 30 years. Marcia Gaffigan, Jim’s mother, was a founding member and original co-chair of the organization’s fundraising auxiliary, the Friends of Hospice. Upon her passing in 1990, her husband, Michael, later on took her place on the board and served for six years until he passed in 1999.
Mitch Gaffigan, Jim’s brother, now serves on the board and is proud to carry on his parent’s legacy. Mitch was the one who spearheaded the planning of this event. It was two years in the making due to Jim’s busy lifestyle, but when a date opened up this event quickly took the spot.
“We wanted the night to be very special, and we picked the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso because of its overall history and charm,” Mitch said. “At 5/3 Bank we have a saying, ‘you build a better bank by building a better community’. And I think that all of our sponsors here live like this. They chose to sponsor Hospice of the Calumet Area and they chose to build a better community… For the past 34 years our family has been involved with the Hospice of the Calumet Area because they provided the necessary services to anyone regardless of their ability to pay.”
Jamrose opened the show with great music that got the crowd warmed up. They played a mixture of covers and their original songs. They ended their set with an awesome rendition of Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man".
Jim put on an excellent performance as usual, using new material that had the audience cackling with laughter. A few of the many highlights: He touched on our obsession with foliage, explained why hiking is never a good idea, regaled us with a story about when he brought donuts through airport security, and he concluded the performance with his famous bit about Hot Pockets.
“We are so happy to have Jim here at our theatre,” LuAnne Pezel, Business Director for the Memorial Opera House said. “They could have picked any theatre they wanted but they chose ours, and it’s for the best cause that you can think of. Mitch has done a great job putting this whole event together and we are honored to have so many amazing people with us tonight supporting a wonderful organization.”
After the show ended, guests made their way to the Porter County Museum for a special VIP reception. Red velvet cupcakes topped with bacon, pizza, and sandwiches from Schoop’s were at the ready for everyone’s dining pleasure. Jim was there, signing autographs and smiling for the cameras that clicked and flashed as each guest got their photo taken with him.
“I thought the show was great. I had an idea that I wanted to make all the material about Northwest Indiana to better resonate with everyone here, and I went with it,” Jim said after the show. “This was actually my first time at the Memorial Opera House and it’s a great venue. The audience is really what makes a room great but this was a nice place. I did have fun tonight.”
Proceeds from the performance will benefit the Hospice of the Calumet Area’s charity care component and free resource program, Transitions™.
“We serve individuals in Lake County, Porter County, and the bordering Illinois communities,” Adrianne May, Executive Director for Hospice of the Calumet Area. “Funds from this show will help to underwrite the charity care that we provide. Transitions™ is a program for people who aren’t ready yet for hospice. We provide support for them and walk with them through their journey, volunteers help support them, too. And it’s a totally free program.”
Funds will also be used to help complete the new Porter County location that Hospice of the Calumet Area plans to have ready in the next few months. More Porter County residents will be able to receive quality care quicker and easier, and the nonprofit will be able to continue its great mission.
“We’re very humbled to have Jim and his family support us at Hospice of the Calumet Area,” Adrianne said. “Mitch has worked so hard to make this night special and make it a success for our organization. The Gaffigan family has shown incredible commitment to Hospice of the Calumet Area and they have great family values to want to continue their parent’s legacy. It’s very inspiring and humbling to be a part of that.”