We loved David Koechner as the obnoxious Todd Packer in The Office and as Champ Kind in the Anchorman movies. The fact that he’s co-hosting an annual charity event called the Big Slick to help children with cancer makes us love this rib-tickler even more.
The Big Slick is a charity event to benefit the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City which is taking place this weekend. Started by Kansas City natives Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis five years ago, Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet has been added to the roster. David Koechner is excited to be back, this time as a co-host.
Table for seven: David and Leigh Koechner talk parenthood >>
The very first charity even included a poker game and the name Big Slick, which is a gambling term and seemed to be the perfect moniker. As time went on and the gambling laws became more complicated, the organizers nixed poker to make the event more family-friendly. They began adding other activities to the roster, such as baseball. This year’s sport is bowling.
“With bowling, we can get high schools involved to do their own fundraising for an opportunity to participate in the bowling tournament,” said Koechner.
But these funny dudes will be doing a lot more than knocking down some pins over the weekend. On Friday, many of the celebrities will visit the kids at the Children’s Mercy Hospital. After, they’ll play a game similar to Wiffle ball in a local Little League baseball diamond.
On Saturday, after the Big Slick Celebrity Bowl at Pinstripes, the comedians will put on a show at the Midland Theatre that will include three rounds of an improv game based on the old game show, Match Game. There’s also going to be a performance by Weird Al Yankovic and Will Forte. On top of the games and performances, the night will also feature a live auction, with the prizes ranging from set visits to movie premieres.
Weird Al Yankovic and Lady Gaga bury their beef >>
“It’s going to be a lot of fun, but of course, the most important thing is to raise money for the organization,” said Koechner.
When we asked The Office actor which of the comedians will be the most competitive bowler during the tournament, he said, “Everyone’s going to be competitive. Your score is displayed above you!” He also added that there’s sure to be “a lot of camaraderie/rivalry and trash-talking.”
All trash-talking aside, we wanted to know if Koechner was hopeful that a cure for cancer would be found in his lifetime. “Let’s see. I’m 51; I plan to live until 100. So, in the next 50 years, you could see non-surgical procedures working all the time. We think about the surgery methods in the Civil War and think, my God! How barbaric! So in 50 years, we may think the same thing about how we use surgery now.”
Breast Cancer Hour: Fight breast cancer with these foods >>
Can’t make it out to Kansas City this weekend? Koechner will be also be hosting the Comedy for Kidneys event at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 26 to benefit the National Kidney Foundation. Aw, what a sweet guy!
Check out the video below to see some shenanigans from last year’s Big Slick, where Jon Hamm literally signs some grapes.
Leave a Comment