LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmy® and Tony®-winning, Academy Award®-nominated actress and animal advocate Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie) joined actress June Diane Raphael (Grace and Frankie), Craig Ferguson (The Craig Ferguson Show) and Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) to bring the laughs to "Wait Wait...Don't Kill Me!," a night of unforgettable comedy and entertainment benefiting Voice For The Animals Foundation (VFTA) on Saturday, May 6 at 8:00 p.m. at the famed Royce Hall on the UCLA Campus. Presented by Honeysweet Creative, this ninth annual fundraiser was hosted by actor Paul Scheer (The League). All proceeds go to support VFTA as they continue their fight for creating respect and empathy for animals through education, rescue, legislation and advocacy, including their work to free Billy the Elephant from the L.A. Zoo (#FreeBillyNow).

The evening began with a star-studded VIP (Vegan Important People) Reception and red carpet followed by the "Wait Wait...Don't Kill Me" comedy program. Councilmember Paul Koretz introduced the program with Melya Kaplan, Executive Director,Voice For The Animals. Cher, honorary Co-Chair, sent a touching video message from Las Vegas seeking support to help Billy the elephant find placement in an elephant sanctuary. Artist Matt Shapira created a painting of Billy the Elephant that was auctioned off during the program. The West Los Angeles Animal Shelter spotlighted six precious dogs that were available for adoption. The event was produced and directed by Erick Weiss, Honeysweet Creative.

Download Photos: http://bit.ly/2pJpMN8. (Credit: Matthew Imaging)

ABOUT VOICE FOR THE ANIMALS FOUNDATION:

Voice For The Animals (VFTA) is a 501c3, non-profit charitable foundation which is devoted to creating respect and empathy for animals through education, rescue, legislation, and advocacy. The organization was founded by Melya Kaplan in 1999 when she realized that although there were many great rescuers, there was a dire need for a new type of animal protection organization with programs to empower people to help more animals. VFTA has many programs that focus on animal protection, including an Animal Assistance Hotline, Rescue and Adoption, Working Cats, LA Zoo Watch, Helping Friends, Abuse Prevention, Humane Education, Political Animal, Feral Colonies, VFTA in Greece, Animal Films, and an Elephants in Captivity Awareness Campaign. The Captivity is Not Conservation campaign is devoted to educating people about the plight of Billy the Elephant and his life in captivity. Connect with the Voices for the Animals Foundation at vftafoundation.org and #FreeBillyNow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To learn more about Billy the Elephant and to sign the petition to get Billy to a sanctuary, visit www.helpbilly-vfta.org.  

Local: Cheri Warner
8187608995
158425@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Voice For The Animals

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