Jennifer Fielder, a breast cancer survivor, started AhLAFska to aid fellow employees at the hospital, although most who attend this haven of hilarity hail from the wider community. “Cancer support groups are excellent for some people, but I found them to be kind of a downer,” she said. “This is a positive way to let emotions out, and a great stress reducer.” This laughter club is now in its 4th year and going strong.

Jan Koel participates in the laughter club at Alaska Regional Medical Center. The group mimics different kinds of laughter as part of the exercise to induce genuine laughter in each other.

Sandy Outwater, who works for Anchorage’s municipal street maintenance department, visited for the first time June 21. “Just the idea of laughing, just remembering what it felt like to laugh freely like we did as children, that was my big draw. I thought, I want to recapture that.” At first, exercises felt forced, but she’s determined to keep practicing. “It’s a way to begin to unwind and let go of the rigidity that it’s not OK to be silly. I bet if a person continues to do that, you can probably start to really loosen up and become more free.

Read more about the AhLAFskaClub at http://www.ahlafskaclub.com/

Where Is The Alaska Regional Medical Center?