SOCIAL NOTES

Fundraiser draws lots of laughs

One of the coolest things about penning this column is that you never know what adventure is around the corner, as today’s Social Notes — highlighting the dazzle of the inaugural Laughing My Diaper Off (LMDO) fundraising event for the new Montreal chapter of the Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation — underscores. Ready, set, showtime!

THE PRE-SHOW: When the main event is a comedy show, it’s always key to get the momentum building with a solid cocktail dînatoire beforehand. Mission accomplished. THE MAIN EVENT(S): Though we’ll have plenty to say about the legendary comedic headliner in a minute, a few words are in order for the courageous souls/community members who dared to move out of their comfort zones to partake in the eve’s festivities as amateur comedians. Introduced in turn by epic MC/biz whiz/former Just for Laughs topman Andy Nulman (attending festivities with wife, Lynn), they were: beloved spiritual leader Rabbi Asher Jacobson, head of the Chevra Kadisha B’Nai Jacob Synagogue (who showed us all why congregants can never get enough); Deloitte management consultant David Chitayat (clearly the most hilarious member of his firm and friend-squad); and yes, yours truly, who enlisted the support of her (my) longtime friend/ mentor, renowned Montreal media celebrity/author “Talk Radio Tommy” Schnurmacher for our outta-the-box stage debut of A Kibitz With Tommy and Jenn. Following our strolls outta the comfort zone, Andy introduced the much-anticipated star of the night: everyone’s fave funny dad on Netflix’s Fuller House, comedic genius Bob Saget, who pulled out all the stops, from the tamer side to the wilder, naughtier sass to his singular way with a strum and a song. Bravo! THE GIGGLE-SUPPORTERS: Not surprisingly, the high notables were out in rare form, eager to support the exciting new fall fundraiser, including Demo Trifonopoulos, CIBC vice-president/region head — Quebec, commercial banking; Stein Jacobs Krolik partner Barry Rashkovan with wife, Tracy; Pascale and Jack Hasen; Cloudraker founder/CEO Thane Calder with wife, Sandrine Duffar; dashing Navilon and JumpCapital partner/GM Mathieu Duffar; Knights Therapeutics chief Jonathan Goodman with wife, Dana; Jonathan Weiner Foundation CEO Charlie Flicker; Vic Park’s Jeff Hart with trainer to the stars, wife, Geraldine; Michael Kors Canada prez Debra Margles with husband, Beatrice’s Pino Forgione; Groupe Forum founding partner Dean Mendel with wife, Andrea; My Tagalongs’ beautiful Nicole Authier; Marlene and Joel King; Browns Shoes power pair Julia Brownstein and husband Eric Ouaknine; Lysa Lash Furs’ Lysa Lash with styling hub, Mark Hornstein; Maximage president Brenda (Brandtastic) Rosenberg with husband, 2Stix Franchising Group president Hillel Frankel; T.O.-based Bonnie and Allen Weber; the ever-delish Barbara and Michael Feldman; publishing guru, PDV’s Steve Robins; techpreneur extraordinaire Mitchell Salis with wife, therapist Tammy Frohlich-Salis; brilliant Okaply Industries director Craig Starke; and many more. THE CAUSE: Inspiration for the night was derived from the extraordinary work in neonatal care underway at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, a research and teaching facility treating over 750,000 patients annually. The Huberfeld Neonatal Intensive Care Unit provides invaluable care to 1,000-plus high-risk infants every year, and delivers 22,000 babies annually. THE TALLY: To everyone’s delight, the first-time funny fundraiser yielded an impressive $150,000 for the new Montreal chapter of the Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation — funds integral to the purchase of life-saving equipment for tiny fragile patients in need — thanks to partners like NTD Apparel, Gottex Canada, Olymbec, thread-collective, Pascale and Jack Hasen, Lamour, Crojack Capital, Pipe & Piling Supplies and Stein Jacobs Krolik, and devoted committee members including event co-founders/ co-chairs Dan Wise, founder/ CEO, RealEats America and Crojack Capital Group (attending with fiancée/committee member, Murielle “Marketing Whiz” Zagury, vice-president marketing, Carbonleo) and NTD Apparel owner Michael Eliesen (with wife/committee member, Liane), and Yan Besner, David Chitayat, Mitch Cobrin, Ariela Cotler, Pam Litman, Sam Sapera and Sol Zuckerman.

RYAN BLAU PBL PHOTOGRAPHY Event co-chairs/founders Dan Wise, left and Michael Eliesen with superstar headliner Bob Saget.

RYAN BLAU PBL PHOTOGRAPHY Stein Jacobs Krolik partner Barry Rashkovan, CIBC vice-president Demo Trifonopoulos and NTD Apparel vice-president Daniel Eliesen.

MARC MURI 2Stix Franchising Group president Hillel Frankel and wife, Maximage president Brenda (Brandtastic) Rosenberg.

RYAN BLAU PBL PHOTOGRAPHY Amateur comedians Jennifer Campbell, Rabbi Asher Jacobson, Tommy Schnurmacher and David Chitayat brought the funny for a good cause.

MARC MURI Therapist Tammy Frohlich-Salis, cousin Daniel Chitayat of Deloitte, brother Michael Chitayat, owner of Chitayat Consulting, and Lendful Financial co-founder Mitchell Salis share a family moment.

MARC MURI Browns Shoes power pair Julia Brownstein and husband Eric Ouaknine catch up with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt real estate lawyer and proud committee member Yan Besner and wife, Carla Erlick.

MARC MURI Dan Wise, Michael Kors Canada president Debra Margles, Carbonleo vice-president marketing/ committee member Murielle Zagury, My Tagalongs’ Nicole Authier, Okaply Industries director Craig Starke and Jennifer Campbell.

MARC MURI Committee member Mitch Cobrin and wife, Karen Lavy Cobrin, grab a selfie with headliner Bob Saget at the inaugural Laughing My Diaper Off fundraising event at the Corona Theatre.

MARC MURI Mark Hornstein and his wife, Lysa Lash, with Neil Erlick, executive vice-president at sponsor Paysafe, and his wife, Open Space Clinic therapist Lauren Wolfe.

MARC MURI Tommy Schnurmacher, Lynn Harris Nulman and her husband, MC/biz whiz/former Just for Laughs head Andy Nulman.