Building on two historic fundraising telecasts in 2008 and 2010, groundbreaking grassroots movement Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), will return to primetime television on Friday, September 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET & PT).
Executive producers Gwyneth Paltrow and Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions will join Stand Up To Cancer’s production team to deliver a one-of-a-kind show featuring performances from top recording artists, and celebrities from film, television and sports engaging viewers with powerful stories and a moving call-to-action.
This star-studded appeal will continue to build public support for groundbreaking translational research accelerating the delivery of new therapies to patients, getting them from the “bench to the bedside” as quickly as possible. SU2C brings together scientists from different disciplines across various institutions to collaborate.
ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC are donating one hour of simultaneous commercial-free primetime for the nationally televised fundraising special on September 7, to be broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. HBO, HBO Latino, Bio, LMN (Lifetime Movie Network), Logo, MLB Network, mun2, Palladia and VH1 have also committed to carry the Stand Up To Cancer telecast, with other cablers expected to, as well. The program will include a celebrity phone/multi-media bank that will allow viewers to interact with participating talent. Viewers will also be able to donate via text-to-give and at standup2cancer.org. One hundred percent of all public donations will go directly to cancer research.
One in two men and one in three women in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, and almost eight million people worldwide die from cancer each year.
“This broadcast has become a global call-to-action for all those touched by cancer,” Paltrow said. “Like so many people, I know what it’s like to lose a family member to this disease, and I’m honored to stand up in my father’s memory.”
Gallen previously produced three extremely successful televised fundraising specials: “America: A Tribute to Heroes” (after 9/11), “Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast,” and “Hope For Haiti Now.” Music was a key element of each. He also produced and directed the “25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.”
“Music and its ability to heal, unite and motivate will play a central role in this year’s show, as will the stories of people affected by cancer and how SU2C is changing their lives,” Gallen said. “It’s an honor to build on the terrific legacy Laura Ziskin established with the previous two broadcasts.”
The legendary film producer Laura Ziskin, who was a member of the SU2C Executive Leadership Council, executive produced the first two telecasts. Ziskin lived with breast cancer for seven years before it took her life in June of 2011.
“Stand Up To Cancer demonstrates the power of the entertainment community to help unite the public in support of a crucial cause that affects us all,” said SU2C Executive Leadership Council Member Sherry Lansing, who also established the Sherry Lansing Foundation and is Board Chair of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “We’re very grateful to Gwyneth and Joel for leading the charge this year, and continuing to foster this important movement.”
SU2C was founded on the belief that this is a pivotal juncture with the potential for transformative progress in cancer research because of two trends: breakthroughs made in our understanding of the basic science of cancer, and technological advances that enable us to translate them into new treatments. Today’s cancer researchers need additional funding to fulfill the promise of life-saving discoveries, and Stand Up To Cancer engages the public to support their work.
“We set out to convince the public that this is a moment of great promise in cancer research, and that each and every person can play a role in helping the scientists who are working so hard to end this terrible disease,” said Stand Up To Cancer Executive Leadership Council Member Katie Couric. “Only four years into our work, we are delighted with the results. Our SU2C Dream Teams of scientists have made important strides, all for the benefit of patients, and we are excited to share that progress through the show.”
Talent participation in the 2012 SU2C broadcast will be announced throughout the summer. Past participants in the SU2C broadcasts include: Jennifer Aniston, Christina Applegate, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Lance Armstrong, Halle Berry, Beyoncé Knowles, Jack Black, Mary J. Blige, Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Katie Couric, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Michael Douglas, Kirsten Dunst, Melissa Etheridge, Jimmy Fallon, Fergie, Jennifer Garner, Charlie Gibson, Salma Hayek, Ken Jeong, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King, Lady Antebellum, Jay Leno, Laura Linney, Tobey Maguire, Martina McBride, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jim Parsons, Keanu Reeves, Rihanna, Robin Roberts, Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler, Diane Sawyer, Ryan Seacrest, Will Smith, Eric Stonestreet, Meryl Streep, James Taylor, Carrie Underwood, Sofia Vergara, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Brian Williams, Reese Witherspoon, Stevie Wonder, Renee Zellweger, the late Patrick Swayze and others.
The first two SU2C telecasts took place on September 5, 2008 and September 10, 2010, and have been viewed in more than 190 countries. To date, more than $180 million has been pledged for SU2C’s innovative cancer research. Since 2008, SU2C has made grants to seven multi-disciplinary “Dream Teams” of researchers as well as to 26 young innovative scientists who are undertaking high-risk, potentially high-reward projects to end the reign of cancer as a leading cause of death in the world today. Sixty-eight institutions are currently involved.
Find out more here.
