Monday, August 25, 2014

Current Event: Celebrities Stand Up Against Cancer

Celebrities Stand up Against Cancer
By Claudia Jimenez
Edited by Waverly Spratt


On September 5th, 2014, the Stand Up To Cancer telethon will commence. Stand up to cancer is a charity designed to raise money over televised a event as well as online. The telethon lasts an hour and in that hour you are invited to call in to donate money towards funds to find a cure for cancer. In past years, Stand Up to Cancer has pledged more than $260 million in part due to the influence of multiple celebrities. This year, big names such as Jennifer Aniston, Jon Hamm, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Pierce Brosnan, Rob Lowe, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Eric Stonestreet, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kiefer Sutherland will be taking part in the event. Celebrities have always helped in donating to the cause as well as talking to some of the viewers that have called in, but this year they’ll be connecting more with viewers by phone and on Facebook from a "digital lounge", hosted by Katie Couric. This has been dubbed “We’re Calling You”, a segment in which donors call in to donate as well as interact more with the celebrities involved with the telethon. Reaching out to donors via social media outlets is a relatively new concept for this charity, but it is expected to increase the amount of donations due to the popularity of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Stand Up to Cancer special will also include performances by Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, The Who, Common and Lupe Fiasco and Dave Matthews. Another big and exciting new change that will occur this year for the first time is the addition of a Canadian co-broadcast, which will raise funds that will benefit research and awareness programs in Canada. If you’re interested in participating in the "We're Calling You" you can sign up at werecallingyou.org.

No comments:

Post a Comment