July 15, 2008 – Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig accompanied by Sarah Jessica Parker and Sheryl Crow, both representing Stand Up To Cancer, announced a new campaign to raise money for cancer research tonight at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.
Stand Up To Cancer, (www.standup2cancer.org), a new initiative created to raise money to accelerate ground-breaking cancer research, launched on May 28 with an announcement of a one hour nationally televised fundraising event to air on September 5, 2008 (8 pm EDT and PDT).
Major League Baseball was the first major donor to Stand Up To Cancer and Commissioner Selig previously announced an initial contribution of $10 million.
The All-Star announcement launches the next phase of the partnership between Stand Up To Cancer and Major League Baseball. A new public service announcement featuring Jessica Biel will be introduced by Commissioner Selig, Ms. Parker and Ms. Crow at the game. The PSA will ask fans to “Stand Up To Cancer” by texting a $5 donation from their phones while they are at the game. This mobile-giving initiative will be available to run in all 30 major league ballparks across the country throughout the baseball season to a potential audience of more than 200 million.
“Stand Up To Cancer has presented an historic and unique plan to fight this deadly disease, and it is a privilege for me and Major League Baseball to join this magnificent effort,” said Commissioner Selig. “We have pledged many of our valuable resources in an attempt to assist in every way we can.” “One of two men and one of three women in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer,” said Laura Ziskin, a cancer survivor and producer of the September 5th broadcast, “so each and every one of us has a stake in this fight. Text donating is wonderful way for people all across the country to help fund research that has the potential to save lives. We applaud Major League Baseball for ‘stepping up to the plate’ and encouraging fans at ballparks everywhere to Stand Up To Cancer through this innovative program.” Ziskin’s film credits include the Spider-Man trilogy, As Good As It Gets, and Pretty Woman. She also produced the 74th and 79th Annual Academy Awards.
This multi-faceted partnership also includes the following elements:
• Stand Up To Cancer has been represented at the MLB All-Star Fan Fest at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
• Cincinnati Reds’ Ken Griffey Jr. is featured in a public service announcement for Stand Up To Cancer that appears in the All-Star Game program and will appear in team programs and other publications throughout the rest of the season.
• Major League Baseball will be a part of the Stand Up To Cancer broadcast special that will air on September 5th.
Stand Up To Cancer was founded on the principal that there is sufficient knowledge of the basic science of cancer and that technologies are now available to translate this knowledge into real advances in treatment and prevention. Scientists now know how cancer begins, progresses and spreads; they are on the verge of life-saving discoveries but desperately need additional funding. The initiative is dedicated to generating those funds from the general public and corporate, foundation and individual donors. The prestigious American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will administer funds raised through the initiative.
The September 5th televised fundraising special will feature live performances by legendary recording artists and stars from film and television who will perform as well as present filmed content giving viewers insight into cancer. Various screening tests will be demonstrated in novel and entertaining ways.
Two other important components of the initiative are the web site and the print and broadcast public service advertising campaign. The web site – www. standup2cancer.org – is being used as a tool for fund raising and to develop an online community for those who are affected by cancer. It also will report the progress of Stand Up to Cancer research projects. Additionally, a series of televised public service announcements featuring celebrities and members of the general public have been created to mobilize support for the campaign.
The PSAs will appear on TV and in movie theaters throughout the summer and will be supported by a print component in newspapers and magazines. The web site will continue to act as a fund-raising platform after the September 5th televised special has aired.
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and was established by a group of media, entertainment and philanthropic leaders, whose lives have all been affected by cancer in significant ways. Stand Up To Cancer is bringing industry resources—people, as well as mediums such as television and the web—to bear in the fight against cancer as never before.
The Stand Up To Cancer leadership team includes Katie Couric; the Entertainment Industry Foundation, represented by Board of Directors Chairperson Sherry Lansing (who is Founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation) and CEO Lisa Paulsen; Laura Ziskin; the Noreen Fraser Foundation and its executives Noreen Fraser (who is also a cancer survivor), Woody Fraser, Rusty Robertson and Sue Schwartz; and nonprofit executive Ellen Ziffren.
In addition to Major League Baseball, many other organizations have joined the fight, including AARP, Alliance for Global Good, AOL, Condé Nast Media Group, Def Jam Recordings, Hachette Filipacchi, Hearst Magazines, Lee Jeans, Los Angeles Times, Meredith, The New York Times, The Paley Center for Media, Philips, Revlon, Rodale Inc., Ronald Perelman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Steve Tisch, Stonyfield Farm, and Time Inc.
Cancer advocacy and support groups collaborating with Stand Up To Cancer include: The Lance Armstrong Foundation, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Breastcancer.org, C-Change, CancerCare, Colon Cancer Alliance, Friends of Cancer Research, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, National Breast Cancer Coalition, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, The Prostate Cancer Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Wellness Community and others.
About AACRThe American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the oldest and largest scientific organization in the world focusing on every aspect of high-quality, innovative cancer research. Its reputation for scientific breadth and excellence attracts the premier researchers in the field. By accelerating the growth and spread of new knowledge about cancer, the AACR is on the front lines in the quest for the prevention and cure of cancer.
About the Entertainment Industry FoundationThe Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), as a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs addressing critical health, education and social issues.
About the Noreen Fraser FoundationThe Noreen Fraser Foundation utilizes film, television and web technologies to raise money as well as to educate and raise awareness about women’s cancers. The funds raised will be used to provide large grants to uniquely qualified cancer researchers.
# # #Media Contacts:
Richard Levin, Major League Baseball—212-931-7878 Rich.levin@mlb.com
Silvia Alvarez, Major League Baseball – 212-931-7878 Silvia.alvarez@mlb.com
Kathleen Lobb, Stand Up To Cancer—212.522.4278 klobb@eifoundation.org
Tom Chiodo, Rubenstein Communications – 212-843-8289 tchiodo@rubenstein.com