The Point

Laughs for the Troops makes debut in Orlando

Last month, Orlando hosted its first Laughs for the Troops (LFTT) golf tournament and Funniest Night in America events, introducing the organization to the community and to several veterans who took part in one or both of the events.

LFTT’s founder and lead comedian, Thomas Brown, the heart behind the operation, has been teaming up for years with a group of comedians who are not only funny, but have hearts as big as his when it comes to supporting our nation’s veterans. Although they each have their unique styles and deliveries, Phil Palisoul, Happy Cole, Tommy Drake, and event host Tim Wilkins, all paired with Brown, certainly could be called the fabulous five. Ask anyone who has seen them perform together.

“No matter what marvelous things I’ve done before, (and there have been countless) or will do from here to the end of my career, nothing will ever match the overwhelming feeling of pride, humility, honor and satisfaction I get from seeing a smile come across the tormented face of a person who has bravely served this country,” Palisoul wrote in a social media post following the event.

“Or listening to a veteran confess that they haven’t laughed in years (you read that right), but for the past two hours laughed until they wet themselves, and remembered what its feels like to feel “normal.”

A great mix of corporate supporters, veterans and folks who love golf enjoyed a beautiful day at the Disney’s Palm Golf Course, and Laughs couldn’t have asked for a better partner and host for the event.

“I can’t say enough about the support we received from Dean and his team at Disney’s Palm Golf Course,” said Brown. “They made our entire group welcome, but they especially made our Veterans feel at home. We were so thrilled with the entire experience, we’ve already booked our golf tournament for next year on Sept. 22.”

Next year, the event will change somewhat with the Funniest Night in America comedy show taking place on Sept. 21 at the Shades of Green again, the night before the Sept. 22 golf tournament.

“This year was great — it was just a long day for everyone who played golf and then came straight to the dinner,” Brown said. “So next year, we’ll enjoy the show, get a good night’s rest, and be refreshed and ready to play golf the next morning.”

Once again, a huge thank you to all of our sponsors, beginning with the weekend title sponsor, Patterson Companies! Our other amazing sponsors were: Jeff Campbell/Lithographix, IT Support and MedWeb. We are also so appreciative of our numerous in-kinds sponsors for the weekend’s events: Disney’s Palm Golf Course, Dixon Golf, Dunkin’ Donuts, Hole Hecklers, St. Cloud Knives and Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resorts.

And finally, thanks to you, our supporters and our Veterans, for being a part of this event. Be sure to visit our Flickr account if you haven’t already to check out the event photos!

Check out our pictures on Flicker.com.