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LOS ANGELES – September 7, 2014 – More than USD $109 million
has been pledged so far in connection with the star-studded
September 5 Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) “roadblock”
fundraising telecasts in the U.S. and Canada, it was
announced today. The funds pledged toward the SU2C
scientific model will be directed to collaborative research
utilizing SU2C's scientific oversight in both the United
States and Canada.
“We are enormously grateful to all of our donors and
collaborators – from the individual television viewer to
large organizations, both in the U.S. and Canada – whose
contributions made the telecast a huge success,” said Lisa
Paulsen, chief executive officer of the Entertainment
Industry Foundation (EIF), the 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization of which SU2C is a part, and one of the
co-founders of SU2C. “All this support, as well as the
entertainment community’s – both the stars who volunteered
their talents and broadcast and cable networks donating air
time – means so much to cancer patients who can benefit from
SU2C’s research.”
In the U.S., SU2C is still gratefully accepting donations at
www.su2c.org
and at 1-888-90-STAND (78263). The telecast is
available at
www.screen.yahoo.com/live/events/su2c and
www.hulu.com/stand-up-to-cancer
As in 2012, the broadcast was executive produced by Gwyneth
Paltrow and Joel
Gallen of Tenth
Planet Productions in collaboration with SU2C’s
production team.
Executive Producer Gwyneth Paltrow, who lost her father
Bruce to cancer 12 years ago, said, “The fight against this
insidious disease is very personal for me, as it is for so
many of us. One in two men and one in three women in the
United States will be diagnosed with cancer in their
lifetimes, but when we all stand together, we can change the
odds. When we all stand together, cancer doesn’t stand a
chance. That sense of community is what the telecast is all
about.”
ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC,
along with ABC
Family, American
Forces Network, AXS TV, Bravo, Cooking Channel, DIRECTV,
Discovery Fit & Health, E!, Encore, Encore Espanol, EPIX,
ESPNEWS, FOX Sports 2, FXM, HBO, HBO Latino, ION Television,
LMN, Logo TV, MLB Network, National Geographic Channel,
Oxygen, Palladia, Pivot, SHOWTIME, Smithsonian Channel,
Starz, TNT and VH1 donated
one hour of simultaneous commercial-free primetime for the
nationally televised fundraising special on Friday,
September 5, broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Los
Angeles. The show also streamed live on both Hulu and Yahoo,
and is still available on each.
For the first time, there was a Canada-inclusive
co-broadcast of the telecast, which aired simultaneously on
all four major English-language Canadian networks: CBC,
City, CTV and Global, along with Canadian services AMI, CHCH,
CHEK, Fight Network, Gusto TV, Hollywood Suite and TLN.
In addition to Gwyneth Paltrow, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
Camila Alves, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Justin Bartha,
Halle Berry, Jordana Brewster, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Carell,
Dane Cook, Bradley Cooper, Katie Couric, Brittany Daniel,
Amanda de Cadenet, Giada De Laurentiis, Zooey Deschanel,
Robert Downey, Jr., Ben Falcone, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Will
Ferrell, Josh Gad, Tony Goldwyn, Topher Grace, Dave Grohl,
Kathryn Hahn, Tony Hale, Jon Hamm, Angie Harmon, Mark
Harmon, Neil Patrick Harris, Marg Helgenberger, Anna
Kendrick, Rob Lowe, Joe Manganiello, Danny McBride, Melissa
McCarthy, Matthew McConaughey, Maria Menounos, Mike Myers,
Olivia Munn, Matt Passmore, Italia Ricci, Rob Riggle, Mira
Sorvino, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone, Eric
Stonestreet, Alison Sweeney, Justin Theroux, Bree Turner,
Sofia Vergara, Charlie Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, and Ethan
Zohn participated in the telecast, as did MLB players Jose
Bautista, Miguel Cabrera, Paul Goldschmidt, Derek Jeter,
Adam Jones, Jon Lester, Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout;
The Who; the Dave Matthews Band; Ariana Grande; and Lupe
Fiasco with Jennifer Hudson and Common delivered
one-of-a-kind musical performances.
Yahoo News Global Anchor Katie Couric, who is a Stand Up To
Cancer co-founder, hosted an On-Stage Digital Lounge, where
participating actors and personalities stood the notion of
the traditional ‘phone bank’ on its head via “We’re Calling
You,” reaching out to supporters via social media and by
making phone calls.
The show helps fund SU2C’s groundbreaking approach to
translational research, accelerating the delivery of new
therapies to patients by getting them from the “bench to the
bedside” as quickly as possible. SU2C brings together
scientists from different disciplines across various
institutions to work collaboratively, rather than
competitively. In the U.S., 100 percent of the donations
received from the general public go directly to
collaborative cancer research programs. All
funds received from the Canadian general public during the
broadcast will be directed towards the creation of
collaborative research teams, as well as education and
awareness programs conducted in Canada.
“It’s a privilege to work with so many great
names from the entertainment community to rally the public
around this cause,” said Gallen, who directed the show in
addition to serving as executive producer. “But our goal was
to remind everyone who the real stars of this movement are:
the brilliant scientists finding new ways to combat this
disease, and the brave patients contending with it every
day.”
Pierce Brosnan, who lost both his first wife and his
daughter to ovarian cancer, announced during the show that
SU2C will work with ovarian cancer organizations to launch a
“Dream Team” dedicated to developing new therapeutic
interventions for what he called “this wretched disease,”
which is expected to take the lives of over 14,000 women in
the United States this year.
Partnering with SU2C are the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF),
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA), and National
Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC).
“Ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of death from
cancer among women,” said Sherry Lansing, a member of the
SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors (CFA) and founder of
the Sherry Lansing Foundation. “More research is urgently
needed to find new ways to detect and treat it, and we are
proud to collaborate with OCRF, OCNA and NOCC to address
that need.”
Later this month, SU2C will issue a “call for ideas” for the
SU2C-OCRF-OCNA-NOCC Ovarian Cancer Translational Research
Dream Team grant, which will offer up to $6 million in
research funding over a three-year period.
Also, SU2C will work with the American Cancer Society (ACS)
to launch a new research initiative on lung cancer. The call
for ideas to the scientific community for the lung cancer
Dream Team will be issued later this month.
The broadcast included inspiring stories of people living
with cancer who have directly benefited from the type of
groundbreaking, translational research that is encouraged
and supported by SU2C.
When she was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer,
gallery owner Beverly Reynolds discovered her cancer was
resistant to the standard chemotherapy treatment. Reynolds
subsequently enrolled in a clinical trial conducted by
members of the SU2C PI3K Dream Team. After just eight weeks
on the clinical trial, Reynolds showed a dramatic response
to the treatment.
“Her participation on this trial has allowed us to reverse
the growth of the cancer, so now it’s shrinking. And that’s
translated into her feeling better and being able to do
things she would not have been able to do had she not been
on this trial,” said Dr. Ursula Matulonis, M.D., Medical
Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute and one of the doctors on the PI3K Dream Team.
Nine year-old Emily Whitehead was the first pediatric
patient ever to receive an experimental immunotherapy for
acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), after she relapsed a
second time following standard chemotherapy. The new
treatment involved extracting T-cells from Emily’s blood,
reengineering them specifically to attack her cancer, and
reinfusing them into her body. In just a few weeks, Emily
showed a complete response to the therapy, and remains
cancer-free today.
Ninety percent of the childhood cancer patients who have
received the same immunotherapy as Emily showed a complete
response like her. One of the goals of the SU2C-St.
Baldrick’s Foundation Pediatric Dream Team is to understand
why the other ten percent of patients do not respond to the
therapy, and if anything can be done to make it effective
for them.
Don Konantz of Vancouver, British Columbia, has been living
with prostate cancer since 2013. His optimism about the
rapid development of new treatment options for his disease
motivated him to enter triathlon events, including an
upcoming ‘Ironman’ triathlon. Despite feeling he “had no
business” taking on such grueling physical challenges, “I
started,” he said. “And it felt great.”
“It’s so moving to see the stories of people who are living
full, healthy lives after a cancer diagnosis, often because
of new advances in treatment,” said SU2C Co-founder Katie
Couric. “We’re so grateful to each and every person who’s
helping us accelerate the pace of research advances and
support the scientists dedicated to making these kinds of
stories the rule, rather than the exception.”
“We were thrilled with the way our celebrity ambassadors
were able to connect with supporters through the on-stage
digital lounge and We’re Calling You campaign,” said SU2C
CFA member Pam Williams, “and it continues to keep people
engaged. In just a 24-hour period, the fun thank you video
Katie Couric and Rob Riggle sent to a supporter via the
Facebook Mentions Cube during the show was viewed more than
130,000 times!”
Both #SU2C and #StandUpToCancer trended on Twitter
throughout the U.S. and Canada during the broadcast.
“The response from the public and their continued generosity
has been extraordinary,” said SU2C CFA member Sue Schwartz.
“With donations of every level still coming in, Americans
and Canadians from every walk of life are ensuring that
Dream Teams will be able to continue moving the most
promising science from the ‘bench to the bedside’ as quickly
as possible.”
“One of our core mantras is that each and every one of us
can make a difference in the effort to stop cancer, from
individuals to foundations, philanthropists, and
corporations,” said SU2C CFA member Rusty Robertson. “In
addition to all the individuals who donated, we are
profoundly grateful to all of the major donors who are
committed to benefiting patients by supporting SU2C’s
research.”
“Our program honored all those we've lost to cancer,
emboldened those brave survivors among us to continue
fighting, and showcased SU2C's remarkable progress through
the prism of patients who have benefitted from research. The
results are tangible, and the potential for breakthroughs in
the coming years is very exciting,” said SU2C CFA member
Ellen Ziffren.
Every day, cancer kills 1,600 Americans – one person every
minute. In 2014, more than 585,000 Americans and almost 8
million people worldwide will die of some form of cancer.
SU2C was founded on the belief that we are at 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.
Since 2008, SU2C has funded 12 “Dream Teams” of researchers
and two translational research teams, as well as 26 young
innovative scientists whose high-risk, potentially
high-reward projects are aimed at ending cancer’s reign as a
leading cause of death worldwide.
A distinctive feature of SU2C’s research model is its
mandate for collaboration, which plays an integral role in
advancing cancer research. To date, Stand Up To Cancer has
brought together more than 800 of the best and the brightest
research scientists from 112 institutions in six countries
to work together in order to save lives now. SU2C-funded
researchers have planned, launched or completed more than
140 clinical trials involving more than 5,700 patients.
Researchers supported by SU2C are investigating a wide
variety of new approaches to various malignancies, including
cancers of the breast, ovary, endometrium, lung, prostate,
pancreas, and colon; metastatic melanoma; childhood cancers
including leukemia and lymphoma; and cancers resulting from
human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, among other forms of
cancer.
Work by SU2C-supported researchers has led to approval by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a new
combination treatment for pancreatic cancer, as well as FDA
“breakthrough therapy” designation—intended to expedite
development of especially promising medicines—for a new
breast cancer drug.
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the
world’s largest professional organization dedicated to
advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and
cure cancer, is the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To
Cancer. The AACR is responsible for the scientific review,
grants administration, and scientific oversight of SU2C
research projects in conjunction with the SU2C Scientific
Advisory Committee, led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp,
Ph.D., institute professor at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) and David H. Koch Institute for Integrative
Cancer Research. The SU2C funding model has fostered
collaboration and innovation, and the unprecedented sharing
of ideas and pooling of resources across institutions. Dr.
Sharp calls SU2C’s revolutionary approach “the best dollar
spent on cancer research in the country.”
For more detailed information about the Dream Teams,
individual Innovative Research Grants and other Stand Up To
Cancer activities, www.standup2cancer.org fosters
an online community for everyone affected by cancer, with
various ways for people to share opinions and support, view
video updates, contribute, and learn of ongoing initiatives
and progress in the fight against the disease.
“It is incredibly gratifying that donors of all types
continue to embrace SU2C’s model of ‘translational’
research, which is entirely focused on how the collaboration
among our investigators can best benefit patients,” said
Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N., President of SU2C. “We’re
profoundly grateful for that support, and proud of the
meaningful advances our Dream Teams have made because of
it.”
SU2C social media also provides a variety of opportunities
to interact with SU2C, support those in the fight, and
contribute to SU2C’s efforts. Social channels include a
thriving SU2C Facebook community of well over a million
fans, SU2C's YouTube channel with 500 videos, Twitter,
Google+, Pinterest, Crowdrise, and many more. Viewers can
begin standing up to cancer now by becoming a fan of SU2C on Facebook,
by following SU2C on Twitter @SU2C,
by subscribing to SU2C’s YouTube
channel or
by following SU2C on Google+.
Facebook, as SU2C’s primary social media partner, and an
array of digital and social media platforms – ranging from
Shazam, reddit, Nerdist, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Yahoo,
Hulu, AOL, and Huffington Post – also supported the 2014
Stand Up To Cancer telecast.
As SU2C’s founding donor, Major League Baseball has provided
both financial support and countless opportunities to build
the Stand Up To Cancer grassroots movement by encouraging
fans all over the country to get involved. In addition to
MLB, SU2C’s “Visionary” donors include Cancer Treatment
Centers of America, MasterCard, and The Sidney Kimmel
Foundation for Cancer Research.
About the Stand Up To Cancer Initiative
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 program of the Entertainment
Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable
organization, was established in 2008 by film and media
leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the
public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer
research, and to increase awareness about cancer prevention
as well as progress being made in the fight against the
disease.
Current members of the SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors
(CFA) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Lisa Paulsen,
Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, Ellen
Ziffren, and Kathleen Lobb. The late co-founder Laura Ziskin
executive produced both the Sept. 5, 2008, and Sept. 10,
2010, broadcasts. Lisa Paulsen and Pam Williams were
executive producers, and the other CFA members were
co-producers, of the 2014 telecast. SU2C was formally
launched on May 27, 2008. Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N., has
served as SU2C’s president since 2011.
In addition to “Visionary” donors Major League Baseball,
Cancer Treatment Centers of America, MasterCard, and The
Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research, other major
donors and collaborators that are currently engaged with
SU2C include Genentech, Prostate Cancer Foundation, American
Cancer Society, The Safeway Foundation, Bristol-Myers
Squibb, CVS Health, KWF (The Dutch Cancer Society), St.
Baldrick’s Foundation, The Lustgarten Foundation, Cancer
Research UK, Sean Parker Foundation, Fox Family Foundation,
Fifth Third Bank, Melanoma Research Alliance, Cancer
Research Institute, Room Key, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund,
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, National Ovarian Cancer
Coalition, Laura Ziskin Family Trust, Farrah Fawcett
Foundation, Siemens, HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation, and The
V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Organizations collaborating with the SU2C Canada initiative
include the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, with support
from The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC); the
Canadian Cancer Society; the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium,
with funding from Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes
of Health Research; the Ontario Institute for Cancer
Research; and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
MasterCard and AstraZeneca Canada are the first Canadian
corporate supporters of SU2C Canada.
In addition to ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC and numerous cable
networks, other significant SU2C supporters
include AOL, Bonnier Corporation, Condé Nast Media
Group, Hearst Corporation, iTunes, Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia, Meredith Corporation, Rodale, and Time Inc.
For more information, visit
www.standup2cancer.org
About the Entertainment Industry Foundation
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment
Industry Foundation (EIF), the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
organization that serves as the collective philanthropy for
the television and film businesses. EIF has distributed
hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs
addressing critical health, education and social issues. For
more information, visit
www.eifoundation.org
About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer
Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest
professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer
research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR’s
membership includes 34,000 laboratory, translational and
clinical researchers; population scientists; other health
care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more
than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of
expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in
the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR
provides expert peer review, grants administration and
scientific oversight of individual and team science grants
in cancer research that have the potential for near-term
patient benefit. For more information about the AACR, visit
www.AACR.org |