Saranne Rothberg Founder/CEO The ComedyCures Foundation

The ComedyCures Foundation tickles funny bones! We bring joy, laughter, and therapeutic humor programs to kids and grown-ups living with illness depression, trauma and disabilities. Through large & small scale therapeutic comedy programs, we entertain and educate patients, families and caregivers about the power of a comic perspective and the positive benefits of laughter on the body, mind, and spirit. "Yes, laughter is great medicine!" Love, laughter and hope are communicated in every aspect of our unique programs.

Saranne Rothberg is a woman with a simple goal—to help you find joy in your journey. Saranne launched The ComedyCures Foundation, a 501(c)3 human service organization, from her chemo chair in 1999 as an outgrowth of her personal experience with the healing power of a comic perspective. She and her daughter discovered that therapeutic comedy served as a great family coping strategy as they dealt with Saranne’s early stage IV cancer diagnosis.

Today, Saranne is cancer-free and has taken ComedyCures’ life-affirming work to ill patients and families throughout the US and world. Saranne has helped almost 700,000 people at more than 700 live events rediscover their funny bones through her motivational, inspirational, laughter-rich performances and unique therapeutic productions. 

Oprah features Saranne as her "Hero" in her book, "Live Your Best Life". CNN regularly features Saranne as their expert on Happiness, Laughter, Hope & Health! AOL celebrated Saranne on their homepage as an "AMAZING MOM". New York Women’s Agenda picked her as their “Rising Star” for outstanding service to New York’s underserved.  Recently, Saranne received the "2011 Fearless Factor Award" in NYC.

Saranne's ground-breaking digital ComedyCures' PSA campaign brought joy daily on the most listened to radio station in the country, CBS 1010WINS. This "ComedyCures LaughingLunch Break

In December of 2008, Saranne and her hilarious comedians and guests launched ComedyCures LaughTalk Radio on AM 970 The Apple Live in NY at 11am EST (10am CST, 9am MST, 8am PST) every Sunday creating a new genre of Positively Funny Talk! Comedy Cures Laugh Talk Radio was also streamed live on the web by Salem Communications for those beyond the NY Broadcast market. ComedyCures LaughTalk Radio is now being readied for national radio and web broadcast.

In January of 2009, Payaso Entertainment and many talented comedians joined forces on 6 television comedy specials to further support ComedyCures programs. Then Saranne joined forces with Physicians Academy and other medical partners in the presentation of their collaborative CME Research on the impact of humor on doctors' learning.

February 2008, ComedyCures helped launch The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Global Campaign to UNite To End The Violence Against Women. In addition to the dynamic morning Kick-off and illuminating Interactive Panel, an exciting VIP ComedyCures Entertainment Reception was Hosted by UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro.

Fall 2007, Saranne collaborated with SELF Magazine for "The LOL Comedy Benefit" where she performed with Molly Shannon, Susie Essman and Alex Borstein to raise money for ComedyCures' therapeutic programs and breast cancer.  ComedyCures then returned from the West Coast where Saranne met up with Palm and MobiTV to launch "The Treo Comedy Festival" including many talented filmmakers, plus fellow celebrity judges Penn & Teller and Adam Ferrara and celebrity hosts Susie Essman and John Henson in order to raise funds for ComedyCures and to inspire others to laugh and live their dreams.

In March 2007, Saranne designed and produced The ComedyCures LaughAbout, a therapeutic entertainment event for critically ill children in the Pediatric Intensive Care, Epilepsy Monitoring and Cancer units at HUMC. She produced and hosted the reunification Homecoming event for The US Marines from Iraq in 2006. She also created a intimate program for bombing victims from Israel.

Her smash hit "ComedyCures LaughingLunch LIVE" is going on its seventh year and serves adult patients and caregivers from every medical population, human service agency and socio-economic group. Seven talented performers unite with great food and sponsors for an award-winning interactive experience.

She has a multi-year request list for appearances and keynote addresses but she always finds time to take one more request. In Spring 2007 Saranne helped launch a college program inspired by her work.

Saranne's ComedyCures 1-888-HA-HA-HA-HA LaughLine® reaches as many as 4,000 people per month. Approximately 75,000 of her playful Wellness Joke Book pages hAVE been created and circulated around the world, including delivered to the troops in the Middle East. ComedyCures serves diverse audiences of all ages.

Saranne and her daughter, Lauriel, 1999, after chemo

Saranne has been featured by media around the world, including Good Morning America, Oprah Magazine, The Dr. Oz Show on Oprah Radio, Family Circle, Women’s World, PBS, CBS, ABC, CNN, NPR, YAHOO and The New York Times. NBC’s “NY and Comedy” Special dedicated a segment to Saranne’s remarkable use of therapeutic humor in addition to featuring Joan Rivers, Jackie Mason, Caroline Hirsch and The Friars Club.

Saranne has collaborated with many Fortune 500 Companies and prominent organizations: The Red Cross, The United Way, Major US Hospitals, Ronald McDonald’s Charities, Gilda’s Clubs, Paul Newman’s Hole in the Woods Camp, Paul McCartney’s Garland Appeal, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Hospice  and Caregiver Programs, Cancer Survivor’s Day, Girl Scouts, Public Schools and many other reputable organizations. Saranne applauds the talented performers, celebrities and emerging talent who appear in ComedyCures programs around the world in hospitals, stadiums, military bases, community centers, ballrooms, Broadway theaters, schools and hospice.

Praised for her humor and humanitarian efforts, Saranne has won many awards including; 2007 Yoplait Breast Cancer Champion Award, The Hope for The Future Award, The Making a Difference Award, The Rotarian Humanitarian Award and The Cancer Superhero of the Year Award.  Saranne helped immediately orchestrate a fund specifically earmarked for cancer patients impacted by Hurricane Katrina, in addition to producing "Kids For Katrina Relief" with 750 children from all socio-economic groups and religions.

Saranne was the first therapeutic humor consultant called to Ground Zero after September 11th. Years later, she was awarded a major grant by the Rotary District 7230 NYC/WTC Disaster Relief Fund, Inc. to produce and host the first therapeutic humor program for the children of victims of the 9/11 tragedy. The ComedyCures Foundation’s "FUNDAYSUNDAY”, a Broadway extravaganza, was held at Town Hall in New York City on May 22, 2005 to rave reviews. Saranne recently accepted the "Entertainment Corporate Award of the Year" from the City of New York. 

Born in Philadelphia, and educated in Los Angeles, New York and Italy, Saranne holds degrees in Broadcast Journalism, Humanities, Special Education Consulting, and Italian Language and Culture.  She has received grants from the US Government, major corporations and foundations to support her studies, research and innovative programs.  Saranne was even invited to become a New York Friar by Dean Roman. 

Saranne and her daughter, Lauriel, 2007

Back in 1999, as a newly-diagnosed cancer patient, Saranne was greatly inspired by the writings of Norman Cousins, the pioneer of therapeutic humor. In 2007, Saranne recently had the honor of meeting three generations of the Cousins' family and sharing this therapeutic legacy. Saranne is a stage IV cancer survivor, with no visible disease, and a world-renowned mind/body and therapeutic humor/laughter expert. Saranne resides in Bergen County, New Jersey but travels worldwide for ComedyCures programs.

A decade ago, Lauriel helped launch The ComedyCures Foundation when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Together they have brought joy to hundreds of thousands of patients and caregivers. Eighteen year old Lauriel Harte Marger has already been named as a United Nations “Youth Advisor” and a World Health Organization “Health Champion” for her work with the ill and the underserved. In collaboration with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Lauriel helped launch “The International Year of Youth” and his 2008 campaign to “Unite to End Violence Against Women”. Lauriel’s leadership, social action and musical gifts were discovered by Duke University’s Talent Identification Program when Lauriel was only 9 years old and featured in their book “Empowered Girls: A Girl’s Guide to Positive Activism, Volunteering, and Philanthropy”.  In 2009, Lauriel and her two best friends launched a human rights’ singing group, “The Bonde”, with their adaptation of an African chant, “Kamwanna”, to protest the raping of young girls because of the myth that virgin blood will cure HIV/AIDS. The Bonde’s socially-conscious pop music catapulted them to The State Department and Capitol Hill.  Lauriel then wrote “Behind The Lies”, a protest anthem to end Female Genital Mutilation. She also wrote The Bonde’s pop/rock song “Unplugged” which became WHO’s International Anthem for World Health Day 2010”. Lauriel co-created The Bonde’s World Health Day Sneaker Drive & PSA yielding sneakers for New York’s homeless. Lauriel is also an accomplished flutist, having been featured with The New York Philharmonic and Flutist James Galway at 11. Lauriel was a long-time leader at The Teen Philanthropy Institute. She was courted by many universities with music and humanitarian scholarships. Lauriel is currently developing her first solo album.