Patrick McKenna mixes funny friends and music for a jam-packed gala night of hilarity next week…all for a good cause.

Patrick McKenna (Red Green Show, Traders) proudly presents Patrick McKenna & Friends ~ a special night of comedy and music on Saturday, February 2 at the Burlington Convention Centre.

Featuring Cathy Jones (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Deb McGrath (Little Mosque on the Prairie), Peter Keleghan (Billable Hours, Newsroom) and Tom Wilson of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, the event promises to be a night of surprises, fun and laughter. Proceeds will support spinal cord injury awareness, education and research.

For the past three years, McKenna has given of his time and support as Honourary Chair of the Golden Horseshoe Marathon (GHM) team. The team, which was founded by Flamborough resident Charlie Cetinski, consists of five paraplegics who marathon using regular wheelchairs. Every September, they wheel from Niagara to Toronto, completing more than 212 kilometres in five days and raising funds for spinal cord research. McKenna joins them in Hamilton and Toronto each year, using a wheelchair for the 2km GHM Community Challenge events.

In celebration of GHM's 10th Anniversary, three paraplegic team members will hand-cycle across Canada, starting in Vancouver and ending in St. John's. Their "Wheel to Walk" journey begins in June 2008 to raise awareness of spinal cord injury (SCI) and to raise funds for education and research through the Spinal Neurorestorative Society.

Innovative researchers have successfully restored mobility function in spinal cord injured lab subjects. Funding is urgently needed to move forward in preparation for clinical human trials and to translate the research into treatment for those with SCI.

The fun kicks off with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and a show at 7 p.m.

Gala tickets include reception, photo, dinner and show and cost $125 each or $900 for a table of eight, and are available by calling 905-714-4308.