Spread A Message of Hope Through “The Baton Pass™” - Stand Up To Cancer

Press

Posted March 19, 2014

Spread A Message of Hope Through “The Baton Pass™”

Spread A Message of Hope Through “The Baton Pass™”

Siemens will donate up to $1 million to Stand Up To Cancer
to support accelerated cancer research
Join the Campaign at Facebook.Com/TheBatonPass

(Washington, DC – March 19, 2014) — Siemens, one of the world’s leading engineers of medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics and healthcare IT solutions, is leading a campaign called “The Baton Pass™” that will raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, to support its innovative cancer research, designed to get new therapies to patients quickly.

“The Baton Pass” links the strong hope for survivorship for everyone facing a cancer diagnosis with the critical need to invest in research.  The Baton will be passed at events across the country, touching the hands of patients, survivors, doctors, scientists, health care workers, families and anyone who has been affected by cancer, signifying how we are all united in the fight against this disease.  The Baton includes a GPS tracking system that allows users of the Facebook app to follow the Baton’s journey during the course of the campaign. Everyone can participate in the campaign by visiting Facebook.Com/TheBatonPass, which hosts an app where users can virtually “pass” the baton in dedication of loved ones contending with cancer or whose lives were taken by it. The app also provides a simple way for individuals to make donations to Stand Up To Cancer.

Siemens is jump-starting the fundraising effort by donating one dollar to SU2C for every pass of the Baton—physically and online—up to $1 million, from March 19 through September 5, 2014.

“Siemens shares Stand Up To Cancer’s core belief that accelerating the pace at which scientific discoveries are translated to clinical settings is a vital component of the effort to save more lives from cancer,” said Gregory Sorensen, MD, CEO, Siemens Healthcare North America.  “Medical imaging and laboratory diagnostic technologies help make these scientific discoveries possible and enable doctors to save lives every day.  Siemens Healthcare is proud to engage the public in supporting the SU2C Dream Team researchers through this grassroots campaign.”

“Every hour, nearly 200 Americans are told they have cancer,” said Lisa Paulsen, SU2C co-founder and president & CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF).  “The next thing they hope to hear is ‘you will survive.’ We are so thankful to Siemens for supporting SU2C’s goal of making everyone diagnosed with cancer a survivor.  Monies raised through “The Baton Pass” will fund SU2C’s fight against this terrible disease.”

New York played host to the launch of the campaign with three events across the City all representing important aspects of the cancer treatment process.

First, the campaign debuted this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” to be followed by an event in Times Square, touching the hands of cancer survivors and those impacted by it, alongside New Yorkers from every walk of life.  Multiple digital signs in Times Square will announce the launch and 6,000 NYC taxi cabs will bring the message to NYC commuters and visitors.

Second, following the passing in Times Square, the Baton will appear at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital where pediatric oncology patients will experience a Baton passing facilitated by Spider-Man who is making a special appearance for the children.

The Baton will end the day at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge which provides lodging and a haven for cancer patients who must travel from their homes and their families in order to receive their cancer treatments.

In addition to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, the baton will pass through some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, bringing its emblematic “hope” to the doctors, nurses, researchers, patients and families who are on the front lines of the fight to save lives.

 

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About Siemens
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy, healthcare, and infrastructure & cities sectors. Siemens in the USA employs approximately 60,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, healthcare information technology and hearing aids. Siemens has long believed that imaging technology plays a key role in advancing cancer research. We have seen firsthand the power of an early and accurate diagnosis. Our diagnostic technologies have made it possible to detect cancer in some of its earliest and most treatable stages, sometimes before a patient even experiences symptoms.

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 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 progress being made in the fight against the disease. 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.

Media Contacts:

For Siemens
Claire Hassett
(202) 368-3854
claire.hassett@siemens.com

For Stand Up To Cancer
Jane E. Rubinstein
(646) 386-7969
jrubinstein@eifoundation.org

For NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Doug Feingold
(212) 305-5587
Dof9022@nyp.org

For Hope Lodge
Ashley Engelman
(212) 492-8403
Ashley.engelman@cancer.org

For more information on The Baton Pass, please visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/baton.
Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TheBatonPass and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheBatonPass.

© Marvel
Marvel Characters have been provided by the Marvel Character Appearance Program Company (http://www.marvelappearance.com).

 

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