The Charis Center is bringing back the comedian who started it all. Mike Williams, the first comedian at the pregnancy resource center's fundraiser in 2016, will return to the stage on Thursday, Nov. 12, as the Duncan nonprofit hosts its 11th Annual Comedy and Coffee fundraiser at the Max Gallaway Convention Hall at the Stephens County Fairgrounds.
Charis Center Executive Director Kimberla Treat said Williams will return to the stage for the milestone event, according to the Duncan Banner. Mike Williams has appeared on SiriusXM's Laugh USA, recorded comedy projects and authored 14 books, per the same report. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets run $35 per person or $50 for two in advance, with door tickets available Nov. 12 for $45, the Duncan Banner reports. Treat said the fundraiser has sold out every year it has been held. The evening will include coffee from Seven Weeks Coffee, cakes from Special Days Cake Boutique and a photo booth — details that echo past years of the event, when the center's 10th annual Comedy and Coffee fundraiser featured many of the same touches alongside piano music, as the Duncan Banner previously reported in a story on that night drawing a packed house.
A Decade of Community Support
The fundraiser traces back to 2016, when Williams served as the first comedian to headline the event. Over the years the gathering has moved venues, including an eighth annual Comedy and Coffee Plus Cakes event held at the Simmons Center and reported by KSWO, which also quoted Treat describing growth in the center's client base. ComancheOK.net has reported that the event sold out for three consecutive years, a trend organizers hope continues as the center marks its 11th installment.
Money raised at the fundraiser supports the Charis Center's work with local women, babies and families, and the center says it is funded completely by local donors. Those wishing to give outside the event can do so online or by mailing checks to P.O. Box 2163, Duncan, Oklahoma 73534, according to the Duncan Banner's reporting on the 11th annual event.
Services Offered at No Cost
The Charis Center offers pregnancy-related services to women and families across Stephens County, including pregnancy confirmation, options counseling, ultrasounds, prenatal and pregnancy classes, and baby supplies, all provided at no charge. The center's own fundraising page states that donor support allows it to serve clients at no cost, and that financial gifts and material donations keep that work going.
Treat has previously told KSWO that the center has seen its clientele nearly double since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and that more men have been coming in to mentor fathers through the program. The center is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1700 W. Jones Ave. in Duncan, according to the Duncan Banner's report on the 11th annual fundraiser, though an older Charis Pregnancy Center event listing gives the address as 1700 W. Jones Ave.
