Seth Meyers, Emmy-award winning comedian and late-night host, has brought his three young children to Chilmark every summer since he visited the Island with his wife in 2008. When close friends told him about the need for a new preschool building in town, he knew he wanted to help.
“It was a no-brainer for us,” Mr. Meyers said. “We’re lucky enough that our kids go to camp with a bunch of kids who go to that preschool.”
Mr. Meyers will perform a stand-up show on Wednesday, August 28 at the Performing Arts Center to benefit the Friends of the Chilmark Preschool. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., he will share his best dad jokes and more with the audience.
“No matter how little you like a Dad joke before you become a father, it becomes impossible to hold them back,” Mr. Meyers said. “Once you become a Dad, it’s pretty much all you can think about and it’s to my great shame.”
The Chilmark Preschool is currently at capacity and Rebekah Thomson, the preschool board president, said the school has had to turn local families away in recent years. The town recently approved plans for a new facility that can hold double the amount of students.
Mr. Meyers said that through his own kids’ experiences, he has seen how essential preschool is as a building block for learning.
“You want an organized space that can also support chaos,” he said. “Over the course of the day, a lot of different things, be that art supplies or blocks or books, will at some point be strewn over the floor and it’s nice to know that there are these places where our kids can start to experiment with creativity and learning.”
Ms. Thomson said Mr. Meyers reached out to the committee to say he would be willing to help in whatever way he could.
“To be able to bring this kind of awareness, positivity and excitement to the project is a dream,” Ms. Thomson said. “Seth made it clear that he was willing to help and we jumped at the opportunity.”
Ms. Thomson said the preschool committee needs to raise $3.5 million for the new building, and the organization hopes to sell sponsorships which include a meet-and-greet with Mr. Meyers prior to the show.
“Tickets are selling quickly and we are thrilled,” Ms. Thomson said.
Mr. Meyers said he’s excited to be a part of a fun evening for an important cause.
“When I walk into a preschool, I wish that my kids were dropping me off,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a full 90 minutes to finger paint.”
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