“I hope everybody comes out to the show just for the f*cking break,” says comedian Mark Matthews. “Go ahead. I mean it. Just to say the hell with it (and) let’s go out and have some fun.”
Matthews will be emceeing the Komedy for Kidneys Rodney Pentland Memorial Benefit Show on April 14. The fundraiser is being held at the Greg Frewin Theatre in Niagara Falls and features the stand-up comedy of five headliners: Mitch McBeaudry, Evan Carter, Justin Shaw, Tony Venditti and James Cunningham.
“The guys that are on our show are usually the headliners. The featured acts at clubs and large shows and corporate shows. The guys who have made it and can stand on any stage in front of, and follow, anybody. We’ve got five of those in all different stages of development.”
Matthews says it’s been a long time since people have been able to enjoy a live event and not only are audiences ready, but the comedians are looking forward to hitting the stage to entertain.
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“We were the last show to play (at the Greg Frewin Theatre) in the middle of March 2020 (before provincial shut downs),” he explains. “And he dedicates his theatre to us every year. It’s such a cool room. It’s like a Vegas show room.”
Matthews says he’s seen many places as an entertainer, but the Greg Frewin Theatre has a special atmosphere.
“It’s an interesting venue for comedy, but as a fundraiser, it just adds a little level of extra class to it. And the comedians work to destroy that class. It’s our mission.”
Komedy for Kidneys originated about 16 years ago as a benefit to raise money for the Kidney Foundation. Matthews and another comedian, Rodney Pentland, were both dealing with kidney disease at the time, however one year after the first fundraising show, Pentland passed away due to complications stemming from the disease.
“And since then we’ve been doing an annual fundraiser called Komedy for Kidneys (and) the funds go to the local dialysis units of the Niagara hospital system.”
There is a special plaque at the entrance of the dialysis centre in honour of Pentland.
“So in this way we honour him every year. We get to remember him and have fun and really he’s the catalyst for people getting together, doing stand-up and getting some money raised for some folks who really need it. Believe me, I know.”
Matthews was diagnosed with Glomerulonephritis and says Komedy for Kidneys means “a lot to me personally” because he knows how it feels to be a patient needing dialysis.
“I will never forget what it is like to sit there for 3-4 hours, sometimes longer, three or four times a week, away from your family, away from everything and (be) dependent upon a machine to clean you up for a day or two until you’ve got to come back and do it all over again.”
Matthews remembers sitting at the top of the stairs with his family so he could watch television because the dialysis hose restricted how far he could go.
“I watched Jeopardy from the stairs,” he laughs.
Matthews stresses that dialysis is not a cure for kidney disease.
“These are treatments. These are not cures…it got to a point where if I didn’t get a transplant it was simply just a matter of months. Weeks. So my brother (David) offered to donate his. I got a kidney from my brother.”
And, although he was grateful for his brother’s offer, Matthews says there was a difficult emotional struggle being able to accept it.
“The toughest part is I’m his older brother, so as much as we fight and as much as I destroyed him as he was growing up… I looked out for him. I was told to constantly look out for (him). So you take it seriously. I really do, And here he was, going to risk his life? I really, really had a problem with that. It was really hard.”
Matthews says it was one of his doctors that finally got him to switch perspective and realize that he would have done the same thing for David if the situation was reversed.
“He said to me, ‘so you’re his big brother (and) if he was in your seat would you do the same for him?’...and that was also the moment I said, 'I like this doctor. I trust this doctor' because he is absolutely right. And it was just hard to, on one level, to accept, because I was really sick and I didn’t want to accept that, but also because it might affect my little brother. 15 and a half years since we had the transplant and my brother’s doing great and I’m doing pretty damn good myself. So that’s my story.”
In addition to co-organizing Komedy for Kidneys, Matthews also does speaking engagements at hospitals about his experiences with dialysis.
“That’s really the reason we do this. I mean, we could commemorate Rodney by getting together with our friends every year, but the money goes to dialysis units….the equipment has to be replaced on a regular basis, and surprise, not all that money comes from the tax payers. It doesn’t. They have to raise money other ways. And to be more innovative and make the patient more comfortable there’s certain methods of dialysis.”
Matthews says being able to stay at home for dialysis instead of having to go to a hospital is a game changer for patients.
“Imagine if you were doing home care during Covid and you were able to dialyze at home instead of having to go to a hospital. Just the level of stress would be so much less. But those traveling machines cost money and that’s not something they have extra money for. If they want that, somebody's got to find it for them. And that’s the kind of thing we do.”
Matthews hopes the community will come out and show their support for Komedy for Kidneys as they have in the past and he says they are working hard to create an environment that people can feel safe, relax and just enjoy a night of laughter.
For tickets call 905-356-0777 or purchase them online at https://gregfrewintheatre.com/buy-tickets.html
Doors open at 7pm* Show starts at 8:20pm
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