By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Voice For The Animals Foundation is gearing up for its third annual “Wait Wait … Don’t Kill Me!” comedy gala, hosted by former honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades Kevin Nealon on Saturday, September 7.
“It excites me to be a part of this event because I love animals, and I believe in the Voice For The Animals Foundation’s philosophy of creating respect and empathy for animals,” Nealon told the Palisadian-Post. “It will also raise awareness to the plight of these beautiful creatures that are suffering and struggling every day.”
More than 300 guests will attend the gala, which supports Voice For The Animals, an animal rescue founded in 1999 and directed by Melya Kaplan that hosts pet adoptions in the Palisades each week. Kaplan created the program to “give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.”
“We know Palisadians and we know they love animals tremendously,” Kaplan shared, adding that Nealon has been amazing in terms of supporting the program and as an animal advocate.
Maria Menounos, Heidi Jo Markel and LUSH Cosmetics will be honored with Lily Awards for their commitment to helping animals.
The evening will also feature performances by Margaret Cho, Pete Holmes, Leslie Jordan, Allee Willis and actress and animal activist Lily Tomlin.
Voice For The Animals, with help from supporters Tomlin and Cher, have launched the “Captivity Is Not Conservation” campaign—devoted to educating people about the plight of zoo elephants. Cher and Tomlin have spoken on behalf of Billy, a male Asian elephant at the LA Zoo.
“I have been working with Voice For The Animals for 10 years,” Tomlin told the Post. “I care about animals and helping all animals. That is also the mission of VFTA. I invite everyone to come to the Voice For The Animals fundraiser. It will help all animals, including Billy, and getting him to the sanctuary.”
Tomlin shared that Kaplan is “tireless in her efforts to save lives.”
The program starts at 6 p.m. with a meet and greet/red carpet, followed by doors at 7 p.m. and showtime at 7:30 p.m. at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica.
“Since we are sharing this planet with animals, and they cannot speak for themselves, I believe it is our responsibility to step forward to help protect them,” Nealon added. “I also happen to know that Palisadians are not only compassionate, thoughtful and sensitive folks, but they also enjoy a good time. This will definitely be an amazing evening of fun, entertainment and great food.”
To purchase tickets, call 323.904.4400 or visit VFTA.eventbrite.com.
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