Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine Fund-Raiser to Pay Tribute to Comedian Bob Saget

This year’s edition of the long-running Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine, a fund-raiser for the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), will be a tribute to comedian Bob Saget, who was a long-time SRF board member and co-host of this event.

Saget died in January 2022 at age 65 after suffering blunt head trauma from an accidental blow to the back of his head.

The event will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Edison Ballroom in New York City as part of the 19th annual New York Comedy Festival. Adam Duritz and David Immerglück of Counting Crows are scheduled to perform.

Comedian Jeff Ross will host the event, which will also feature comedians Michael Che and Nikki Glaser. Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine is co-chaired by celebrity chef Susan Feniger, actress Regina Hall (whose mother was diagnosed with the disease in 2006), and Saget’s widow, Kelly Rizzo.

“I am honored to continue the legacy that Bob built, by working with his closest friends to create an unforgettable night with the same goal that Bob had—to raise as much money as possible for scleroderma research,” Rizzo said in a statement. “Laughter was at the heart of everything Bob did, and Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine is no exception. We look forward to filling the room full of laughter, all in the spirit of finding a cure.”

At this year’s event, the SRF will debut the Bob Saget Legacy Award, which will honor individuals who have followed in his footsteps by helping raise awareness about scleroderma and funds to find a cure. The inaugural award will be presented to Caroline Hirsch, founder and owner of Carolines and the New York Comedy Festival.

Saget championed the SRF since losing his sister Gay to the disease in 1994. He joined the organization’s board of directors in 2003. However, his involvement actually began in 1991 through the SRF’s annual signature event, Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine — as an attendee, then the next year as a performer, and ultimately as a key figure in organizing and producing the event.

The SRF has presented Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine since 1987. The event has been a cornerstone of the SRF’s fundraising efforts, raising more than $29 million to fund research.

Sponsorships starting at $1,000 are now available. A limited number of individual tickets at $750 are also available. For more information, visit www.srfcure.org/cchc.

The Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1987. Scleroderma is a rare and often life-threatening autoimmune disease that can cause fibrosis in the skin and other vital organs.

Launched in 2004, The New York Comedy Festival is the largest comedy festival in the U.S. This year’s edition will take place from Nov. 3 to 12.