Longboat comedian sells pencils to buy a new car due to Hurricane Helene

Longboat's favorite comedian, Cliff Hornsby, more commonly known as "Gerry Atric," was preparing for his first year to perform in "Florida's Funniest Comedian" contest when the news of Hurricane Helene hit.

Scheduled to be hosted on Sept. 25, McCurdy's Comedy Theatre was a stop in the 10th annual year of the contest before it was postponed due to the expected impact of Helene's surge. 

Living in Tangerine Bay Condominium, Hornsby thought he would be safe to stay since he wasn't on the first floor. He used this extra time to practice his jokes and up his chances of winning the competition. 

Photo by Petra Rivera

"I lost power for about 24 hours, but thankfully, I had a generator," said Hornsby. "Everything else was fine until I went down to the garage to check on my car, and it was completely ruined."

Due to the several feet of water that flooded the garage, Hornsby's car was estimated to cost about $17,000 to repair. His only option was to total it and get a new car.

Hornsby's gift is making light of situations. After finding out this price, he started joking that to make that money he was going to have to start selling pencils on the street to buy a new car.

To many of his friends' surprise, Hornsby headed out to Main Street in Sarasota and started selling pencils with his dog. Not taking it too seriously, he hoped to make people laugh with his "Gerry Atric" shirt and his relatable jokes. 

Along with selling pencils, Hornsby plans to do two comedy shows at McCurdy's and his church, Faith Lutheran Church, to raise money for a local hurricane relief fund. 

He will also still be performing with 18 other local comedians at "Florida's Funniest Comedian" contest, which was rescheduled for Oct. 30.

"I have been selling the pencils for $1 and have only sold about 15 pencils because I don't stay there long enough," said Hornsby. "I really am not a good busker because, after just a few minutes, I am ready to go inside. It was just a joke to make people smile after the storm but also a super fun way to get out there and show people what I do."