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# Comedic benefit raises money for arts programs and teacher aids
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/comedic-benefit-raises-money-for-arts-programs-and-teacher-aids/
- Published: 2002-03-13T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:07:51.000Z
- Author: Andrew Fixmer
- Tags: Education, Montana, #archive-import

*Local parents laugh at school’s expense*

Parents of Franklin Elementary School students took it upon themselves Monday to ease the facility’s funding woes by making it a laughing matter.

Six parents, who are nationally known professional comedians, hosted a benefit at the Aero Theater on Montana Avenue that raised about $5,500 for the school’s Parents and Teachers Association.

The event, dubbed “Parents with Punchlines,” brought Steve Mittleman, Bobby Collins, Glenn Hirsch, Fran Solomita, Dave Coulier, and Wendy Kamenoff together to spoof everything from the elementary school and Santa Monica to the war on terrorism and national politics.

The PTA sold about 350 tickets at $20 a pop to benefit music programs, musical instruments, arts supplies and teacher assistants to keep class size ratios low. And the show only cost the PTA $1,500 to host, so most of what they raised went directly to the school.

“Parents want to come out to support their kids,” said Franklin Elementary Principal Pat Samarge. “They make this a wonderful place to work.”

Though most of the crowd were parents of the school’s students, many teachers and administrators also were in attendance. The show was for adults only, and the event was far from politically correct.

“I came to see all the funny parents,” said school nurse Sheryl Bader, “because I’m always treating their funny kids.”

Kamenoff, who is married to fellow comedian Steve Mittleman, called her friends and got them to agree to the benefit. She had done a similar fundraiser for her son’s nursery school.

“I came from San Diego Unified,” she said, “and it’s amazing the difference in parent support here at Franklin and in Santa Monica.”

Many comedians said before the show that they were a little worried about the crowd, who they see on a daily basis and who are parents of their childrens’ friends.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 13, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/031302.pdf?ref=smdp.com)