The seventh Stand Up To Cancer fundraising special will be on August 21, and Reese Witherspoon and her husband Jim Toth will be co-producers for this year’s show.
The SU2C telecast was started in 2008 by women in the entertainment community who wanted to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Its founders include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren.
The telecast is a biennial event that has been supported by hundreds of celebrities over the last 13 years.
The event is broadcast on over 60 media platforms across the U.S.and Canada, and all four major broadcast networks within the U.S. are donating a commercial-free hour to broadcast the event.
Sofia Vergara, Anthony Anderson, Ken Jeong, and his wife Tran Ho will be co-hosting the show this year.
Brittney Howard and Common have been announced as performers for this year’s event, and many more performers will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause in Canada. Unfortunately, too many of us have a personal experience with this disease. I’m proud to highlight the amazing doctors and scientists of Stand Up To Cancer who work tirelessly on important cancer research, innovative treatments, and much needed patient care,” said Witherspoon in a statement.
Toth, who lost his father to cancer, said, “It is a privilege for us to continue to support the important work of Stand Up To Cancer as co-producers of the telecast.”
“Joining forces for cancer research saves lives. We know this because it saved Tran’s life 12 years ago. Stand Up To Cancer has been fighting against cancer for over a decade, working to ensure that all cancer patients become cancer survivors, like Tran,” said Jeong and Tran Ho.
“I am so proud to be joining my friends at Stand Up To Cancer to help spread awareness of the preventative measures people can take and the resources that are available,” said Anderson.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused many delays in cancer research, such as delayed screenings, diagnosis, and treatment. Because of that Vergara said, “The most important part of my cancer diagnosis was catching it early. With all the complications and delays the pandemic has caused, it is more important than ever to support Stand Up To Cancer, so others have the resources they need for early detection.”
Since being founded, SU2C was raised over $603 million for cancer research, and their research has contributed to nine new cancer therapies that were approved by the FDA, as well as 258 clinical trials that helped over 19,000 patients.
Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images
