By Tim Saunders on
Sheryl Crow joined Elvis Costello onstage at the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Charity Concert on Saturday, July 11, under the iconic Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
The concert, which was free to fans, was the culmination of a day-long celebration of baseball history and featured a $1 million donation by Major League Baseball to Stand Up To Cancer. In addition, fans were able to make donations to Stand Up To Cancer after the concert. The concert streamed live on MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, and fans watching the live stream were encouraged to donate to Stand Up To Cancer.
“I want you all to take your cell phones out and text STAND to 40202,” told the 100,000 people in the crowd. “I know you have cell phones. You’ve been taking pictures of me. I’ve seen you. Take them out and text to 40202. You can help to end cancer in my lifetime. And yours.”
Major League Baseball has responded to United States of America President Barack Obama's call for community service through “United We Serve,” a program which encourages all Americans to be part of building a new foundation for America by engaging in sustained and meaningful community service. The initiative will focus on four key areas: energy and the environment, health care, education, and community renewal. The concert was an environmentally focused event featuring the Major League Baseball Green Team, a group that collected recyclable bottles and cans at the show.
“It’s really amazing,” said Crow. “I don’t know of a national sport that has embraced a cause like this and has raised so much money and made it such a high-profile issue. I don’t need to reiterate the fact that that everyone has a relationship with cancer. Whether it’s an individual-personal relationship — whether it’s with family or friends — we’ve all been touched by cancer. So it’s just an incredible blessing to see, because I have such a personal relationship with cancer, a sport embrace Stand Up To Cancer and make it such a massively-wide issue.”
Copyright © 2009 Look to the Stars
