Former 'SNL' star to headline evening for JourneyCare in Barrington
Julia Sweeney, a former "Saturday Night Live" star now appearing in a Hulu show, will headline an educational evening mixed with humor for the JourneyCare hospice center in Barrington.
Sweeney, known for her androgynous character Pat when she was on NBC's "SNL" from 1990 to 1994, is expected to share her experiences as a caregiver for her brother and as a cancer survivor from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 9 at McDonald's Corp.'s Hamburger University, 2715 Jorie Blvd. in Oak Brook.
Retired ABC 7 Chicago news anchor Ron Magers and his wife, Elise, will moderate the discussion with the 58-year-old Sweeney, who co-stars on Hulu's "Shrill" with current "SNL" cast member Aidy Bryant. Sweeney plays Bryant's mother, who is a caregiver taking care of her husband with cancer.
"I know what it's like when a loved one is dying," Sweeney said in a release, "and everyone is pretending he is not dying and how painful that can be. I've had three deaths in my immediate family, and two were much less painful because we did some advanced planning and knew their wishes. I am very passionate about giving directives in advance so your loved ones know what you want."
Sweeney plans to incorporate humor into her discussion on love and loss.
Sarah Bouburka, president and CEO of JourneyCare, said the organization is "thrilled" to have Sweeney for the program. Bouburka said the goal of the "Life is a Journey" series is to help people understand the value and power of advance care planning conversations.
"We are committed to having an ongoing dialogue with our community to help prepare people for the difficult challenges we all share, allowing them to live well, on their terms, with all the help and support they need," she said.
Tickets for the "Life is a Journey" program are $25 and include appetizers, refreshments and parking. For more information and tickets, visit journeycare.org.
Barrington resident Bob Lee's nonprofit Ride for 3 Reasons sponsors the "Life is a Journey" program.