Festival History

Welcome to the LaughFest Podcast!

In this first episode (part one of two!) Joanne Roehm, Director of Strategic Initiatives and LaughFest for Gilda's Club Grand Rapids interviews Wendy Wigger, President of Gilda's Club Grand Rapids and LaughFest about the very beginnings of LaughFest and why LaughFest matters. Joanne and Wendy then have a conversation with Marti O'Brien and Mary Reagan Shapton of Reagan Marketing + Design about the early days of LaughFest and the creation of the iconic LaughFest smile and the tag line Seriously Funny.

Stay tuned for part two of LaughFest festival history where Wendy and Joanne talk with Carroll Velie, one of the LaughFest co-chairs in year one of the festival about keeping the LaughFest secret.

The LaughFest Podcast is produced by Gilda's LaughFest with the support of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center.

Gilda's LaughFest. Seriously Funny.