Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) has added more star power to the lineup of its seventh biennial roadblock televised fundraising special.
Celebrities lending their support to help raise funds for cancer research, including participating in video chats with donors during the telecast are Alison Sweeney, Cecily Strong, Chandra Wilson, Ciara, Danai Gurira, Deon Cole, Ed Helms, Italia Ricci, Jaime Camil, Jennifer Garner, Kate del Castillo, Kyle MacLachlan, Matthew McConaughey, Max Greenfield, Michael Peña, MJ Rodriguez, Tony Hale, and Tony and October Gonzalez.
This year’s show will air on Saturday, August 21 at 8PM ET & PT / 7PM CT. As announced previously, Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth, a media industry entrepreneur and investor, will executive produce the special that will be co-hosted by Anthony Anderson, Ken Jeong & Tran Ho, and Sofia Vergara. SU2C co-founder and special guest Katie Couric will also appear and there will be performances from Brittany Howard and Common with Stevie Wonder.
As a kick-off to the televised special, SU2C is launching the #Up2Us to #StandUpToCancer Week on Friday, August 13. The week-long fundraising initiative, ending on Saturday, August 21, will feature exciting live streams, inspirational patient stories, and a dance challenge by pediatric cancer patient and dancer Orli Halpern.
Other notable celebrities, social media stars and streamers will join forces across social platforms to elevate cancer patient voices and highlight the importance of cancer research and fundraising – including Alexandra Shipp, Allie, Ella, Noelle and Noah Schnacky, Allison Miller, Ana María Polo, Anna Akana, Aria Brooks, Bobby Berk, Bree Turner, Brenda Song, Brittany Perry-Russell and Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Cameron Mathison, Carrie Ann Inaba, Cheryl Burke, Chloé Lukasiak, Craig Melvin, Emma Norton, Eric McCormack, Flula Borg, Frankie Grande, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jordana Brewster, Justine Ezarik (iJustine), Kalen Allen, Kaylee Bryant, Kelsi Davies, Kent Boyd, Leslie Jordan, Matt and Abby Howard, Megan Pormer, My Nguyen, Neebs Gaming, Odette Annable, Robbie Amell, SungWon Cho (ProZD), Tiffani Thiessen, Tony Goldwyn, Tori Phantom, and Uzo Aduba.
On the night of the special, Ian Hecox, Courtney Miller and Shayne Topp from the sketch comedy group Smosh will host and stream a Jackbox Games competition to raise awareness and funds for Stand Up To Cancer’s groundbreaking cancer research. Special guests will join the competition which will stream on the Smosh Games Twitch Channel.
During the show, viewers will be immersed in first-hand stories featuring families who have been impacted by cancer. These moving stories will share the journey of an 11-year-old boy with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a woman who has lived with pancreatic cancer for 10 years, and a woman with multiple myeloma whose husband was driven to participate in a SU2C clinical trial because of his wife’s diagnosis. The show will also feature interviews with SU2C-funded investigators who will share the many reasons they are working tirelessly and urgently to improve cancer treatments.
Stand Up To Cancer’s biennial special will broadcast from Los Angeles and air simultaneously on more than 60 participating media platforms across the United States and Canada, including all four major broadcast networks in the U.S. Broadcasters carrying the show are donating one hour of simultaneous commercial-free prime time. The telecast will also be available to stream live and on-demand on several streaming platforms.
Since its inception, SU2C has raised over $603 million to bring together more than 1,950 of the best scientists from over 210 leading institutions to collaborate towards ending cancer’s reign as a leading cause of death worldwide. SU2C’s research has contributed to nine FDA approvals for new cancer therapies, and 258 clinical trials treating more than 19,000 patients. Recognizing that improving cancer care is a critical need in medically underserved communities, SU2C began developing its Health Equity Initiative in 2017. The initiative aims to increase diverse enrollment in cancer clinical trials, fund innovative research that addresses cancer inequities, and raise awareness of the importance of cancer screenings.
SU2C is also supported by generous donors who share the same goal of accelerating groundbreaking cancer research, increasing cancer screenings, and ensuring equity in cancer care and clinical trials. SU2C’s founding donor, Major League Baseball (MLB), has continued to annually provide both financial support and countless opportunities to build the Stand Up To Cancer movement among its worldwide fanbase. In addition to MLB, SU2C’s “Luminary” donors include Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Lustgarten Foundation, and Mastercard. “Visionary” donors include American Airlines and the Sidney Kimmel Foundation. Additional major donors and collaborators include Count Me In, Exact Sciences, Providence (Providence Saint John’s Health Center), Rally Health, and Van Andel Institute, along with the Canadian Cancer Society for SU2C Canada.
In addition to Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth, the televised fundraising special will be executive produced by Done + Dusted and Stand Up To Cancer’s production team.
