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Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is an annual charity program organized by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), and broadcast on major networks on September 5 each year. But for the first time since SU2C began in 2008, there will be a Canadian special airing from Toronto that will be broadcast simultaneously on four of the country’s largest television networks.
SU2C relies on celebrities in the entertainment industry to inform the public about new or improving methods of cancer research, including cord blood stem cell clinical trials that could provide options for regenerative therapy against cancer.
The Canadian fundraiser will be organized by EIF Canada as the new SU2C Canada, and was officially announced in Toronto on July 9. The organization recruited three celebrities to help kick off the event, including Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Blue Velvet’s Kyle MacLachlan, and Canada’s own Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada, with two out of five Canadians expected to develop some form of cancer over the course of their lives. Organizations that will support EIF Canada during the fundraiser include the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
David Purdy is a Senior Vice President at Rogers Communications who is on the board of EIF Canada. He says cancer is not discriminatory, and that all Canadians should support the new campaign.
“Our hope is that, through this one hour of television, we can inspire viewers to make a true difference in the effort to help more cancer patients become survivors.”
Following the broadcast, SU2C will submit new cancer research proposals that will be shared with members of the Canada Scientific Advisory Committee. This process will allow researchers from various organizations to pool their resources, and determine the most progressive ways of combating cancer.