The President and First Lady will speak to important initiatives currently underway through the Biden Cancer Moonshot to create groundbreaking advancements in cancer research

LOS ANGELES, CA – August 15, 2023 – Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) announced today that President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will take part in the eighth roadblock special airing on Saturday, August 19 at 8 p.m. ET and PT / 7 p.m. CT. In an intimate moment with viewers, the President and First Lady will share a personal message that speaks to their continued support of cancer research through the Biden Cancer Moonshot and congratulates Stand Up To Cancer on its 15-year anniversary.

The President and First Lady have a long-standing relationship with SU2C. During SU2C’s 2016 fundraising telecast, President Biden—then Vice President—spoke on behalf of his son Joseph “Beau” Biden III, who passed away from brain cancer in 2015. First lady Jill Biden joined Stand Up To Cancer during game 4 of Major League Baseball’s 2022 World Series in Philadelphia, where she stood alongside the entire stadium in honor of those affected by cancer.

“The President and First Lady’s unwavering work to address some of the most challenging aspects of cancer research reinforces the incredible progress being made and will no doubt lead to many more breakthroughs in the years to come,” said Russell Chew, president and CEO of SU2C. “Stand Up To Cancer is exceedingly grateful for their participation in this year’s telecast; our shared hope to help more people affected by cancer to survive, and thrive, is the steadfast focus needed to end cancer as we know it.”

As announced last week, the biennial special will air simultaneously on more than 50 participating media platforms across the United States and Canada, including all four major broadcast networks in the U.S. Broadcasters carrying the show are donating one hour of simultaneous commercial-free prime time. The telecast will also be available on-demand on several streaming platforms. Additional celebrities making a special appearance during the show include Elizabeth Banks, Jessica Biel, Don Cheadle, Katie Couric, Danai Gurira, Tony Hale, Ken Jeong, Maria Menounos, Julianne Moore, Tig Notaro, Jimmy Smits, Eric Stonestreet and Justin Timberlake; a special montage of comedic skits from past shows will feature Jack Black, Ben Falcone, Zach Galifianakis, Brad Garrett, Bill Hader, Jon Hamm, Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Jay Leno, Melissa McCarthy, and Matthew McConaughey. The televised special will also feature past musical performances from the likes of Brittany Howard, Simone Ledward Boseman, and The Who.

Stand Up To Cancer was established in 2008 by a group of women who wanted to galvanize the entertainment community to raise awareness and funding to accelerate collaborative cancer research and end cancer as a leading cause of death. SU2C’s Founders include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and Noreen Fraser were also co-founders.

Since its inception, SU2C has raised over $746 million to bring together more than 3,000 of the best scientists from over 210 leading institutions to collaborate towards ending cancer’s reign as a leading cause of death worldwide. SU2C’s research has contributed to the development of nine new cancer therapies approved by the FDAs, and more than 270 clinical trials treating more than 29,300 patients. SU2C is committed to cancer health equity and is working to increase diversity in SU2C-funded clinical trials, initiate advocacy group collaborations and awareness campaigns, and fund research aimed at improving cancer outcomes and screening rates in medically underserved communities.

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Media Contact:
Fiona McRobert
Stand Up To Cancer
fmcrobert@su2c.org

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 is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and was initially launched as a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Established in 2008 by media and entertainment leaders, SU2C utilizes 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 April 2023, more than 3,000 scientists representing more than 210 institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.

As SU2C’s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., conduct rigorous competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.

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. Russell Chew serves as SU2C’s president and CEO.

For more information, visit StandUpToCancer.org, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.