Entertainment Industry, Corporate and Foundation Donors, Non-Profit Collaborators, Philanthropists, and General Public Join Forces To Support Critical Cancer Research
LOS ANGELES – August 23, 2021 – Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) today announced more than
CAD $183.27 million has been pledged collectively in connection with its seventh biennial roadblock televised fundraising special that aired on Saturday, August 21 in Canada and the U.S. 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. “Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians is expected to develop cancer during their lifetime, 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 Canada and the United States, 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 @SU2C’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
In Canada, SU2C is still gratefully accepting donations at www.StandUpToCancer.ca.
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.
A special segment during the event featured appearances from Canadian news and sportscasters Bryan Mudryk (TSN), Carolyn Mackenzie (Global’s The Morning Show), and Danielle Michaud (Sportsnet), and CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries star Yannick Bisson, who shared their personal connections to cancer. Other Canadian celebrities supporting the televised special included Cottage Life’s Adam Holman from Cottage Coach, CBC’s Family Feud Canada host Gerry Dee, 102.1 the Edge’s Kolter Bouchard, ET Canada’s Sangita Patel, along with CBC’s Heartland cast members, Amber Marshall and Shaun Johnston, the cast of Global’s Family Law, including Jewel Staite, Victor Garber, Zach Smadu and Genelle Williams, and Global’s Nurses cast members Tiera Skovbye and Sandy Sidhu.
SU2C was established in 2008 and has raised over CAD $955 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.
About Stand Up To Cancer Canada
Stand Up To Cancer Canada is a Canadian registered charity (Reg: # 80550 6730 RR0001), launched by the U.S.-based Entertainment Industry Foundation in 2014. Stand Up To Cancer Canada (SU2C Canada) raises funds to support collaborative cancer research teams, as well as education and awareness programs conducted in Canada.
For more information, visit StandUpToCancer.ca, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.
Media Contact :
Fiona McRobert
Stand Up To Cancer
fmcrobert@su2c.org
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