By Anne Arseneau

Special to the Record

There is life, love, and laughter after cancer treatments!

Hope Afloat Canada, the local breast cancer (and other cancer) survivor team has enjoyed the sport of dragon boat racing since 2002. Hope Afloat is a group of hard-working, fun-loving Comox Valley women who are committed to winning the race against cancer. Our hope is that this message will reach others facing the disease and perhaps make a positive difference to their recovery. By encouraging survivors to live full and active lives, Hope Afloat is committed to annual fundraising and cancer awareness events.

What better way to convey our mission statement to our community than to host a great comedy night?

Headliner Syd Bosel is a local stand-up comedian and comedic storyteller who will spill your life out onto the stage as she shares her humorous tales of 鈥榓dult children,鈥� surviving breast cancer, menopause, being married for 1,000 years, and other glories of nature that come with maturity. Bosel cut her teeth in Vancouver鈥檚 comedy scene and recently moved to the Comox Valley. Her comedic accomplishments include participating in Spotify鈥檚 Just For Laughs comedy album, voted second as 鈥榝an favourite鈥� in B.C.鈥檚 Funniest New Female Comic competition, and she opened for I Am Woman Hear Me Laff tour. In 2022, Bosel placed second at the Funniest Person with a Day Job competition.

Bosel is a regular comic on the Jest Ladies Troupe and she can be heard on CBC鈥檚 Radio program, Laugh Out Loud 鈥� 鈥淧oor Man鈥檚 Hummus鈥�. As tour headliner and co-producer of Hot Flash Comedy, Syd鈥檚 show recently sold out in Sidney, B.C. in celebration of International Women鈥檚 Day 2023. Most recently, Bosel was a contestant on Canada鈥檚 Got Talent, the wildly popular televised national competition and won the hearts of the judges including Canadian comic icon, Howie Mandel, and all of Vancouver Island.

Bosel is herself a breast cancer survivor. As well, the featured comics at the upcoming June 17 comedy fundraiser 鈥� Bobbie Garnons-Williams and Andy Pellat - also have first-hand experience with 鈥楾he Big C鈥�, as they call it. The comedy show is more than just a night out to get together and laugh about familiar subjects. It鈥檚 also meant to serve as inspiration about the importance of not waiting to pursue your dreams. Bosel was spurred to revisit her dream after a successful battle against breast cancer. 鈥淚 like to showcase mature comics if I can because I find we are quite underestimated,鈥� says Bosel. 鈥淢y latest campaign is really focused on letting women see other women doing stuff that we are doing before waiting for all our ducks are in a row. Life takes many turns and if you wait until that happens or this is accomplished, you may not end up doing it at all.鈥�

Hope Afloat Canada invites you to join us on Saturday, June 17 for an evening of laughter and inspiration. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show at the Comox Valley Curling Centre on Headquarters Road in Courtenay. Tickets are $35 and available on (Adults 19+)

Bar and snacks available and a cash 50/50 draw to win.