Comedians and musicians hit the right note Friday night in front of a packed house at the Grande Event Centre, all in an effort to raise money and bring awareness of Alzheimer's disease.
See: Thirty-plus items in online fundraising auction
The night, billed as Look, Listen and Laugh (Because Dementia Sucks), kicked off with long-time MP Bob Wood sharing his own struggle with Alzheimer's.
Wood addressed it head on, joking through a six-minute speech but ending on a defiant call to action.
"Anyone who has been affected by this disease as a patient or a caregiver knows, it really does suck the big one. So we can either bury our heads in the sand, pretend it's not happening, or hold our heads high and meet the challenges that are facing us with dignity and the love and support of family and friends
"The mind may not remember, but the heart will never forget."
It was met with roaring applause and a standing ovation for the much-loved former radio morning man.
"I've done a lot of things in my life but I think that's the first time I've had a standing ovation. Mostly they were throwing things at me," he laughed.
Wood says right now he feels in good shape and feels lucky to have discovered his disease in the early stages.
"There's a pill I take every day that's supposed to slow it down a bit, it doesn't cure it. My wife noticed it first and I knew I was forgetting a few things and things were changing in my life but I didn't really think about it."
That changed when Wood saw his doctor and was given the grim diagnosis.
"One day I was driving around with my wife Carol and I said, 'Nobody wants to talk about Alzheimer's for some reason' so I said, 'What the hell, let do it.'"
That led to a call to his friend Pete Handley and an appearance on Handley's cable TV show where he announced he had Alzheimer's.
"It kind of blossomed from there and here we are today."
But don't call him courageous for speaking out.
"I don't understand why but people think it's a brave thing to do. I didn't think it's brave at all, I just did it."
That led to his collaboration with journalist Dave Dale.
Dale's Dad also has Alzheimer's and this fundraiser was a perfect fit.
"He's in a home in Sudbury and no longer lives with my Mom, she couldn't take of him...he needed so much. Eventually, the partners and caregivers wear out and then the person becomes a little bit too much."
The fundraiser was Dale's way of helping.
And he wasn't surprised at the sellout.
"I thought it would sell out for sure just because of the cause but as soon as Bob Wood came on board as a special guest it had so much momentum that the tables just went like hotcakes."
