Xcel University Los Angeles Laker Metta World Peace will host a "Comedy Slam Dunk" fundraiser for his nonprofit, Xcel University, at the Laugh Factory on Thursday, September 20 from 7:30-9:30 p.m, located at 8001 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Laker Metta World Peace will host a "Comedy Slam Dunk" fundraiser for his nonprofit, Xcel University, at the Laugh Factory on Thursday, September 20 from 7:30-9:30 p.m, located at 8001 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets are $30 for general admission and can be purchased at ronartest.com or at the door the night of the event. A two-drink minimum applies to all tickets, which are on sale now. The comedy show will conclude with a live auction.

A portion of proceeds raised from this event will be donated to The Metta Center for Nonviolence towards a video training curriculum that focuses on Well-Being and positive Mental Health. The joint project between The Metta Center and Xcel University is being designed to meet Federal Education Standards and will be available to all educators nationwide.

World Peace raffled off his 2010 NBA Championship ring on December 25, 2010, and raised more than $650,000 for mental health programs through Xcel University. In February 2011, he traveled to Washington, D.C. to help Congresswoman Napolitano launch "The Mental Health in Schools Act" in Congress and has participated in numerous mental health awareness and anti-stigma campaigns with Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. World Peace recently received SAMSHA's "Special Recognition Award" at the 2012 Voice Awards. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration honored World Peace for his work to raise awareness about mental health issues, and for his financial support of charities that provide mental health awareness and treatment services for children

About Xcel University:

Xcel University works to bring public attention to the importance of mental health awareness, emphasizes the benefits of accurate mental health diagnosis and good quality care, and fundraises for nonprofit mental health organizations that provide quality mental health services. Xcel University encourages children and teens living in high-risk environments to focus on their own well-being, complete their education, and asks them to become community leaders by volunteering their time and giving back to their communities. For more information, please visit http://www.xceluniversity.org and http://www.limelightmentalhealth.com.

About The Metta Center for Nonviolence:

At the Metta Center for Nonviolence we work passionately to promote the transition to a nonviolent future by making the logic, history, and yet-unexplored potential of nonviolence available to activists and agents of cultural change (which ultimately includes all of us) around the world. We help practitioners use nonviolence more safely and effectively, and anyone interested to understand and articulate it more fully. To learn more about our visionary work and how we do it, please visit mettacenter.org.

For press inquiries on Metta World Peace and Xcel University, please contact Heidi Buech at heidi(at)crescendopublicrelations(dot)com.

For press inquiries on The Metta Center for Nonviolence, please contact Stephanie Van Hook at stephanie(at)mettacenter(dot)org.