Armed with a clever name focused at a noteworthy cause, Tuesday evening marked Hilarity For Charity’s fundraising Cocktail Party at the posh Jane Hotel. Created by husband and wife comedy team Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, This is the End) and Lauren Miller (For a Good Time Call…), the pair welcomed a lineup of elite comedians to New York City for one night only to raise awareness for a disease that goes largely under the radar considering the overall gravity of its effects.

An impassioned Rogen appeared before Congress more than a month ago pleading for their increased support of the fight against Alzheimer’s, revealing a side of his persona that we haven’t been privy to seeing on film. The cause rings especially true to Miller, whose own mother had been diagnosed at an alarmingly young age with the affliction. With the help of some of comedy’s biggest names though, the pair hosted a Manhattan precursor to their end of the month west coast gala for the very first time.

Celebrity guests included Mad Men’s Ben Feldman and performers like Aziz Ansari, the stunning in person Natasha Leggero, Hannibal Burress and Demitri Martin. Though much of the conversation on the carpet revolved around the rumored replacements for David Letterman, it was obvious the focus of the entertainers never wavered from the evening’s cause. Guests meanwhile were treated to a full open bar and the opportunity to bid on one of a kind experiences like attending this coming weekend’s Saturday Night Live alongside Rogan as the evening’s host and a trip to Los Angeles for the “Hilarity for Charity Gala” on April 25th, also as a guest of Rogen’s.

Tickets, which were priced at $500 to attend, sold out with immediacy, not surprising considering the performers in attendance and the opportunity for New Yorkers to hob nob with them a bit. The entirety of proceeds raised would be donated to The Alzheimer’s Association, the worldwide nonprofit leader in funding research to cure the disease. In a comedy club, the spotlight typically shines bright on each singular comic, but on this night each performer dodged their recognition, yielding in an effort to change the common misconception that Alzheimer’s as an ‘old person’s disease.’ And with a youthful push led by the advocacy of some of the country’s most notable comedians in a fun and entertaining variety show, it’s time that the rest of us begin to take notice.

- Jane Van Arsdale