Festival will highlight importance of laughter
Grand Falls will host its first ever Festival of Laughter, May 4 to 6, with a variety of activities meant to, as its name suggests, make people laugh.
"After a long, long winter, we felt people needed to celebrate the fact that it's finally over and that spring has arrived. What better way to do that than with laughter and fun," stated Carole Cormier, chairperson of the Festival of Laughter Committee.
Cormier followed up on her idea of organizing such an event from a project she worked on while taking a university course last year.
"I had a big project to do on laughter which I then had to present to the whole class," she said. "At the end of the presentation, we were then challenged to do something pertaining to laughter. It's from that project that I was inspired to organize the Festival of Laughter in conjunction with the World Laughter Day on May 4," she added. "That's why we chose to hold the event around that date."
Cormier's committee also includes Nicole Scott, Curtis Haley, Sophie Morin and Anne-Marie Caron-Côté. "We started working on the Festival last October when the committee was created," she said. "We also received a lot of valuable input from the Town and Denis Boucher, manager of the Falls and Gorge Commission, who provided a lot of ideas and suggestions. When we started approaching various groups and people in an effort to organize the Festival's activities, we were genuinely surprised by the reception and their reaction to the idea."
"Our main goal is to make people more aware of the importance of having laughter in our daily lives," Cormier stated. "We often work in fast-paced and stressful environments, where laughter is rarely part of the workplace."
The festival will kick off with an evening of magic and comedy on Saturday, May 3, at the Grand Falls Marina from 8 to 10 p.m.
"This activity is for adults 19 years of age and older," stated Cormier.
On Sunday, May 4, a spaghetti lunch will be served at the PTA cafeteria, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
"We will be holding this activity in conjunction with the high school's 2008 graduating class. Part of the money raised during the event will go to the graduates's committee and the balance to the Festival committee to help pay for costs," she added.
"After the meal, we're hoping everyone will then head over to the Richelieu Auditorium next door to attend the local Amateur Theatre group's play "Salut Cocu" at 1:30 p.m.," Cormier said.
"In the evening, starting at 7 p.m., the same location will host Jimmy Flynn, a comical genius. With his high-energy blend of sidesplitting comedy and popular music, Flynn remains Canada's ambassador of good cheer."
"On Monday, May 5, Dr. Gilles Lapointe will present a conference on laughter and its importance in our daily lives," Cormier stated. "The conference will be held at the Auditorium Richelieu at 7 p.m."
The last day of the Festival of Laughter, May 6, will feature an improvisation contest which will include members of the PTA's improv team, as well as a group of comedians from Grand Falls and a comedy sketch by Renée-Claude Thériault. "This free event will close the festival and will be held at the Nelson-Lynch Amphitheatre at the PTA."
"We are hoping the people of Grand Falls and surrounding communities will enjoy attending these activities, all the while sharing in the laughter which is sure to abound," Cormier said. "It's been proven that laughter isn't just fun and enjoyable, it's good for our health. There are many benefits to laughter. When we laugh, we alleviate depression, lower our blood pressure, promote relaxation, reduce stress, increase the oxygen level in our blood, giving us more energy and banish boredom. People enjoy being with those who laugh easily and often and laughter increases our enjoyment of life. If it feels good to laugh, then laugh to feel good."
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