MIAMI — For Julie Baez, the blending of two passions — stand-up comedy and honoring her late mother — led to the creation of Funny in Pink, a production company focused on giving back through laughter.
Baez’s mother, Julia Rubio, died from colon cancer in 2018 at age 54.
“She made a lot of jokes all the time, and I never understood it,” Baez said. “I couldn’t understand how somebody could always be so funny when you’re suffering.”
Shortly after her mother’s passing, Baez said she gave up on her dream of making people laugh. But she eventually realized it was a calling. Starting with three or four comedians, Funny in Pink has grown to feature more than 150 women performers.
The company produces shows to spotlight female comedians while raising funds for charitable causes.
One annual show is focused on BRCA Strong, a nonprofit that provides mastectomy kits to men and women impacted by breast cancer.
Each kit costs about $150, and the shows bring in enough to fund at least 20 kits per event. Since the first show, Funny in Pink has raised more than $10,000 for the cause.
Tracy Milgram, president of BRCA Strong, said the nonprofit has distributed more than 10,000 packages over the past decade, including 2,000 this year alone.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had woman diagnosed at younger ages,” she said.
Breast cancer survivor Sasha Cabrera, a regular attendee of Funny in Pink events, said laughter was a vital part of her recovery.
“I found it very important for other people that are either going through cancer, or are about to go through cancer, know that laughter is one of the best medicines out there,” she said.
Baez said the shows also provide education and resources for prevention.
“Essentially, yes, this is a show — we’re giving you entertainment — but we also want to provide tools, the information and the resources, locally, if you don’t have them,” she said.
Funny in Pink continues to grow as a platform for women in comedy while using humor to make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer.
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