Paul Rudd poses with some of the kids at the SAY foundation event. (Photo: Jason Steinberg)
Under the neon glow of Frames Bowling Lounge, the 12th “Paul Rudd All-Star Bowling Benefit” turned a chill night into a warm, rollicking celebration.
Community, compassion, and courage were honored at the event hosted by Paul Rudd, a dedicated champion of the Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY) for more than two decades.
The beloved event on Nov. 17th drew a joyful crowd of celebrity bowlers, supporters, and—at the heart of it all—the young people of SAY.
For Rudd, returning to this event each year feels like coming home.
He still remembers the moment that changed everything: a young boy with “a microphone about as big as he was” stepping onstage at his first SAY gala nearly twenty years ago.
“The courage that he had in doing that…it was one of the most emotional moments I have ever experienced,” Rudd recalls.
“Every year I’m here, I see kids I remember when they were little and now they’re grown-ups helping run this. To see their courage in action…the joy and confidence they’ve gained from SAY…it’s a real blessing in my life.”
That sense of evolution, of finding confidence and voice over time, was echoed down the lanes by actor Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), who understands SAY’s mission in visceral terms.
“I used to have a really crippling chest stutter when I was in elementary school,” he says. “There wasn’t a lot of advocacy for this then. It was really easy to say to getting involved.
“I got enamored with how SAY puts the young at the forefront. It’s something I desperately wish I had when I was younger because I didn’t know where to turn.”
Brightman credits performance for helping unlock his own fluency—“one of those things that can get you out of one side of your brain and get you flowing.”
The philosophy he sees is reflected in SAY’s creative arts programming.
“I never thought I would use my voice outside of doing theatre, but now my career has evolved not only with ‘Beetlejuice,’ but now I’m on two cartoons,” he says. “I’m very specific in particular about my voice now.”
Brightman will be using it next in the new Broadway musical Schmigadoon, opening in April.
“I don’t sing in Schmigadoon because I play the guy who hates musicals!” he says, laughing. “It’s a real vocal walk in the park for me, to be honest. It’s a comedic marathon.”
Patrick Breen (Next Fall) offered his own kind of quiet mentorship as kids made their way over to meet him.
“Take your time,” he tells them. “Tell me your name. However long it takes.”
For him, the bravery of SAY’s kids is powerful.
“The willingness to stutter and not have shame—that’s inspiring. Growing up sensitive, being bullied, I know what shame feels like.
“Because of this organization, these kids don’t have to have that same stammering in silence.”
As guests got ready to throw balls down the lanes, Brandon Victor Dixon (Hell’s Kitchen) reflected on what SAY’s young people have taught him.
“Anything valuable takes time,” he says. “Watching these kids develop their artistry and confidence is spectacular. It teaches me about walking with courage into discovering who you are.”
That lesson—patience, courage, joy—echoes across SAY’s life-changing programs, from Camp SAY, the world’s largest camp for kids and teens who stutter, to Confident Voices creative arts programming and accessible speech therapy.
More than 80 million people worldwide stutter, including five percent of all children, and tonight’s celebration helps ensure that SAY continues giving young people a place where their voices are not only heard but honored.
As Rudd puts it simply: “It’s a real celebration. Getting to hang out with these kids and see them have such a fun time…it’s the greatest.”
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