Stand Up 2 Cancer

Went back home late last night at 9.30pm after class. Settled down a bit after and watched some TV. Was channel hopping and came across the StandUp2Cancer charity event (a re run ) with celebrities at standby to take in donation. Celebrities included Charlize Theron, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Anniston, Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Garner, Sidney Poitier, Keanu Reeves, Tobey McGuire, Balthazar Getty, Hilary Swank, America Ferrera, Forest Whitaker, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Applegate, Sally Field and may more. Patrick Swayze showed up on stage too, a bit hard to recognise him as he has lost a lot of weight since his diagnosis of cancer. I didn't realise he had it till he started self referencing himself to the event. The telethon charity event showed real people who either have cancer, or had cancer. They also included people who have lost loved ones to the disease. It was a pretty emotional event, showed little kids going undertreatment.

So,what's Stand Up 2 Cancer? It is an innovative approach to help research designd and bring together the best and brightest investigators from leading institutions around the world. This unique initiative, helps foster scientific collaboration and accelerate the discovery of new therapies, which will be administered by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing research to prevent and cure cancer, under the direction of a Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. (Ref : http://su2c.standup2cancer.org/node/1032)

The event was well organised. Beyonce, Ashanti, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Keyshia Cole, Leona Lewis, Miley Cyrus, Natasha Bedingfield, Rihanna, Fergie and Carrie Underwood all decked out in their black Stand Up To Cancer t-shirts, grouped and sang “Just Stand Up!”, the worldwide charity single benefiting Stand Up 2 Cancer. It was very catchy, would love to get the album if I see it.

For more info, this is a good website to read about it http://www.backseatcuddler.com