LOS ANGELES, Aug. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Up To
Cancer® (SU2C) today announced more than $143.18 million has been pledged collectively in
connection with its seventh biennial roadblock televised
fundraising special that aired on Saturday,
August 21 in the U.S. and Canada. Funding raised from the show as well
as corporate, foundation and individual donors supports urgently
needed research and breakthrough new treatments for cancer and
public awareness campaigns.
SU2C's biennial telecast, which was delayed by one year due to
the COVID-19 pandemic, was co-executive produced by Academy
Award®-winning actress Reese
Witherspoon and Jim Toth, a
media industry entrepreneur and investor, who worked alongside the
renowned live-event producing team Done + Dusted and Stand Up To
Cancer's production team. Anthony
Anderson, Ken Jeong &
Tran Ho, and Sofia Vergara also joined as cohosts, along with
SU2C co-founder Katie Couric, who
appeared as a special guest.
"We are so appreciative of the generosity of the entertainment
community, our Board of Directors, our corporate and foundation
donors and the individuals who continue to show their support of
Stand Up To Cancer," said Sung
Poblete, PhD, RN, CEO of SU2C. "More than 1.8 million people
in the U.S. are anticipated to be diagnosed with cancer in 2021, so
it is critical that we come together and take action so that
we can continue to accelerate the pace of groundbreaking new cancer
therapies that reach patients quickly."
The special aired simultaneously on more than 65 participating
media platforms across the United
States and Canada,
including all four major broadcast networks in the U.S.
Broadcasters that carried the show donated one hour of simultaneous
commercial-free prime time. The entire telecast also streamed on
SU2C's Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and TikTok channels. The show is
available on VOD on Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Prende TV, Prime
Video, and Tubi, as well as on @SU2C's Facebook and YouTube
channels.
In the U.S., SU2C is still gratefully accepting donations at
http://www.standuptocancer.org/Donate.
Highlights of the show included a touching tribute to
Chadwick Boseman by his wife Simone
and host Anthony Anderson. Simone's
performance of "I'll Be Seeing You" was a heartwarming
commemoration of her late husband who passed away last year at the
age of 43 after a private battle with colon cancer.
Other performances included a powerful rendition of "I Wish I
Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" by Brittany Howard, and an inspiring performance of
"Courageous" by Common with Stevie
Wonder. The show also included inspirational stories and
reflections from real-world patients and cancer researchers.
A new initiative by SU2C was announced by Sofia Vergara during the show. Bid 2 End Cancer
is an incredible series of auctions powered by Heritage Auctions
with contributions by MLB and MLB Clubs that feature everything
from signed game-worn jerseys to autographed collectibles, and a
rare experience that will put one lucky bidder on the mound at this
year's World Series. Bid 2 End Cancer is live now at
StandUpToCancer.org/Auction, and new auction items will be dropping
every Tuesday through October 25.
Celebrities lending their support for this year's fundraising
special included Alison Sweeney,
Bradley Cooper, Cecily Strong, Chandra
Wilson, Ciara, Deon Cole,
Ed Helms, Iliza Shlesinger, Italia Ricci, Jaime Camil, Jennifer
Garner, Kate del Castillo,
Matthew McConaughey, Max Greenfield, Michael Peña, MJ Rodriguez,
Tony Hale, Tony and October
Gonzalez.
Other notable celebrities, social media stars and streamers
joined forces across social platforms to elevate cancer patient
voices and highlight the importance of cancer research and
fundraising, including Adam Devine,
Alexandra Shipp, Allie, Allison Miller, Ana María Polo, Andy Cohen, Anna
Akana, Anthony Hill,
Arana Lemus, Aria Brooks,
Ben Barnes, Bobby Berk, Borja
Voces, Bree Turner,
Brittany Perry-Russell and
Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Brooklyn Queen, Cameron Mathison, Carrie
Ann Inaba, Chef Yisus, Cheryl
Burke, Chloé Lukasiak, Craig
Melvin, Danny Trejo,
Elena Shinohara, Ella, Emma Norton, Eric
McCormack, Ethan Zohn,
Frankie Grande, Gregory Zarian, Guy
Fieri, Jesse Tyler
Ferguson, Joe
Manganiello, Jordana
Brewster, Judy Greer,
Kalen Allen, Karla Souza,
Kaylee Bryant, Kelsi Davies, Kent
Boyd, Kyle MacLachlan,
Lawrence Zarian, Leslie Jordan, Marc D'Amelio, Marcia
Cross, Marg Helgenberger,
Matt and Abby Howard, Mayim Bialik,
Michelle Galván, Migbelis Castellanos, My
Nguyen, Neebs Gaming, Noelle and
Noah Schnacky, Odette
Annable, Reggie Watts, Rhett
& Link, Robbie Amell,
SungWon Cho, Tiffani Thiessen, Tony
Goldwyn, Tori Phantom and Uzo
Aduba.
As a kick-off to the televised special, SU2C launched
the #Up2Us to #StandUpToCancer Week on Friday, August
13. The week-long fundraising initiative, which ended on
Saturday, August 21, featured
exciting live streams, inspirational patient stories, and a dance
challenge by pediatric cancer patient and dancer Orli Halpern.
During this special evening Ian
Hecox, Courtney Miller and
Shayne Topp from the sketch comedy
group Smosh hosted and streamed a Jackbox Games competition to
raise awareness and funds for Stand Up To Cancer's groundbreaking
cancer research. Special guests including Flula Borg, Jarvis Johnson and Justine Ezarik joined the competition, which
streamed on the Smosh Games Twitch Channel.
Additionally, an inspiring PSA aired during the show featuring
Chris Evans, Danai Gurira, Jodie
Comer, Karen Gillan,
Michelle Dockery, O-T Fagbenle and
Paul Rudd, showing that when we come
together, cancer doesn't stand a chance.
SU2C was established in 2008 and has raised over $746 million to date. Over the past 13 years,
SU2C has brought together over 2,000 of the best scientists from
more than 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 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.
About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace
of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives
now. SU2C, a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a
501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by media
and entertainment leaders who utilize these communities' resources
to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of
cancer research, to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and
to highlight progress being made in the fight against the disease.
As of January 2021, more than 2,000 scientists representing more
than 210 institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research
projects.
Under the direction of our Scientific Advisory Committee, led by
Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp,
Ph.D., SU2C conducts rigorous competitive review processes to
identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding,
oversee grants administration, and ensure collaboration across
research programs. The American Association for Cancer Research
(AACR) is SU2C's scientific partner.
Current members of the SU2C Founders and Advisors Committee
(FAC) include Katie Couric,
Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa
Paulsen, Rusty Robertson,
Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N., serves as SU2C's CEO,
and Russell Chew as SU2C's
President.
For more information, visit StandUpToCancer.org, Instagram,
TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.
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SOURCE Stand Up To Cancer