13th Annual Stand-Up for Brain Cancer Gala

The Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research presents award-winning comedian Mike Birbiglia at the 13th Annual Stand-Up for Brain Cancer Gala Thursday, April 17, 2025 at River Oaks Country Club. A reception for all attendees will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a dinner and night of entertainment beginning at 7 p.m. Guests should be prepared to eat, drink, and laugh the night away. 

Special Guest Mike Birbiglia is a comedian, writer, director, and actor who has performed his award-winning solo shows worldwide—from the Sydney Opera House to the West End of London to Broadway. His five solo shows Sleepwalk With Me, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, Thank God For Jokes, The New One, and The Old Man & The Pool enjoyed successful runs on and off Broadway and became hit Netflix comedy specials.  Mike received a 2024 Emmy nomination for Best Writing for The Old Man & The Pool. The shows merge storytelling and comedy in a way that The New York Times has called “Birbiglian.” Birbiglia also wrote, directed, and starred in the films Sleepwalk with Me and Don’t Think Twice. As an actor, Birbiglia has appeared in the films Trainwreck, The Fault in Our Stars, Popstar, A Man Called Otto as well as TV roles in Orange Is the New Black and Billions. He hosts the podcast Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out.

The Broach Foundation was established in honor of James Broach, who in 2011, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. This came just ten months after his previous diagnosis of a grade II astrocytoma during a surgery on October 12, 2010. He endured countless surgeries, radiation, chemo treatments and experimental trials.  Despite the difficult treatments and the cancer growing in his brain, James knew he wanted to make an impactful difference in the fight to cure brain cancer.  Along with his wife, Jamie, he decided to actively join the effort of pursuing a cure for this extraordinarily challenging and under-funded disease. The Broaches, along with the Executive Board, consequently established The Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research to raise funds and awareness for the benefit of adult brain cancer research. To date, The Foundation has raised over $6.5 million dollars to help advance brain cancer research. James lost his battle against brain cancer on August 26, 2013, but the impact his life will have on those who continue to fight this disease lives on through the cutting edge research the foundation funds.