Taking their comic talents on the road for a tremendous cause, comedians with The Boob Tour are gearing up for a Red Deer show on April 12.

The performance, which takes place at the Holiday Inn on 67th St., features James Uloth, Casey Corbin and Allison Lane.

“The main goal of The Boob Tour is sustainability — we want to build a lasting relationship with the audience, venues, and the communities we visit as a whole. Our idea is to establish a yearly philanthropic tour. Anybody can build a tour once but it’s my goal to have this go on for as long as the funding is needed,” said Uloth, who is also the event’s creator.

Uloth got his own start in comedy at an early age. For starters, he was pretty much always the funny kid in class and after making the other kids crack up, he spent his share of time in the hall. “I wanted to be a stand-up comedian as far back as I can remember,” he recalls. After working as a paramedic for a while, he chose to pursue stand-up and within just three years he was working in it full-time.

These days, he tours about 30 weeks a year and divides his time between Los Angeles and home here in Alberta, which is near Drayton Valley.

As a teen, his best friend’s mom passed away after a battle with breast cancer, and even at that young age, Uloth knew he wanted to do something to help the cause.

The idea to use comedy as a fundraiser was sparked years later, and since the first tour back in 2010, about $250,000 has been raised for breast cancer research in particular and various cancer programs in general.

“It feels great – I get to do what I love.” He also is thrilled to see audiences support the venture so whole-heartedly.

Meanwhile, Corbin began performing in Ottawa, but now makes his home in front of audiences across Canada. He has played every major comedy club,
 performed many one-night venues and has played numerous theatres and universities.

In
2001 and 2002, he was nominated for ‘Funniest Newcomer’ at the Canadian Comedy Awards.

Over the years, he has opened for headliners such as Mike MacDonald,
Mitch Hedberg, Russell Peters, only to name a few.

Lane is the owner of Out of Our Heads Productions, and is also a writer, comedian, director and producer. She has performed her one-woman shows across the country.

Lane was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, and she opted to document her own journey. She called her series Chem-Ho, and approached cancer with honesty, a sense of humour and plenty of awkwardness. She is now a dedicated cancer awareness speaker, and her award-winning videos have been shown around the world.

Meanwhile, Uloth said the two main goals of the The Boob Tour are to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer and all cancer charity, and to promote comedy and the power of laughter.

In 2007, the ‘I Love Boobs’ logo was born and from its inception it was a fundraiser tool. Originally being branded on stickers and t-shirts that were being sold after shows and online, Uloth said it was time to take it further. Ultimately, it evolved into The Boob Tour.

Uloth said proceeds support local charities, and the money is kept in the communities that come out to support the cause. “We want to make a difference in the areas we visit and have results that affect those in that area that are in need.

“We also focus on raising money that goes to the support groups, health foundations and cancer centres that work on the front lines. These funds can go towards a number of things like medications, transportation or equipment that these smaller centres need.”

Tickets can be purchased at the Candy Bouquet (beside the south Save-On-Foods), Budget Brake and Muffler (beside the downtown McDonalds) or the Canadian Cancer Society (beside the north Save-On-Foods).

editor@reddeerexpress.com