The Stand Up to Cancer charitable foundation has been very successful at raising funds for cancer research. A full 90% of what they raise goes directly to research, with the rest being held for future investments. Though they raise plenty of money each year on their website, the vast majority of funds come from the telethons, which have aired once every two years since 2008.
Cancer is one of those diseases that have touched just about everyone in some way or another. If you don’t have it, you probably know somebody who does or who passed away from it. Celebrities are no different, with the disease affecting their lives as well. That is why so many have lined up over the years to make appearances at the telethons, performing or simply giving a short speech about why cancer research is so important.
There have been some particularly poignant celebrity appearances in past events, not the least of which was by Patrick Swayze in 2008. The actor had recently gone public with his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and the telethon marked his first broadcast television appearance since then. He died just over a year later at the age of 57.
Elizabeth Edwards, the famous attorney who was married to former presidential candidate John Edwards, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She beat it twice, only to have it come back each time. She attended the 2010 telethon, which was held in September. She announced two months later that the cancer had returned, but any treatment would just delay the inevitable. She died the day after her public announcement, with the telethon having been one of her last public appearances.
Actress Christina Applegate had undergone a double mastectomy as a result of a breast cancer diagnosis just weeks before the 2008 telethon. When she came out for her appearance on the show, she got one of the biggest applauses of the night. Her plea for research help was all the more resonant as a recent cancer survivor. Today, she still works with Stand Up to Cancer and is still in remission while raising her daughter Sadie Grace LeNoble.
Tom Hanks has always been one of the most charitable Hollywood stars, so his and wife Rita Wilson’s involvement in Stand Up to Cancer has been a big boon for the foundation. He has a large, far-reaching fan base who tune in to anything he is on. There is no way to calculate how much money one celebrity brings in from his or her fans, but it is a fairly easy assumption to say that having Tom Hanks give a speech during the telethon certainly helped Stand Up to Cancer’s final take.
Though many celebrities come on and tell a story about how cancer has touched them personally, some give a performance instead. Since the telethons have each lasted one hour without commercials, it is hard to keep the energy level and momentum up with celebrity anecdotes alone. That is why stars like Alicia Keys lend their talents to the telethon. She sang a song during the 2012 telethon, which was closed out by fellow musician Tim McGraw, who belted out his hit “Live Like You Were Dying.
Human celebrities were not the only ones who have attended past telethons. In 2008, Homer Simpson, the cartoon patriarch of “The Simpsons,” was on hand to lend his star power to the proceedings. Voiced by actor Dan Castellenata, his appearance gave some much-needed brevity to what was otherwise a mostly emotional and sometimes dramatic night.
One of the most notable appearances in 2012 was by “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson, who has only granted a small handful of interviews since the summer controversy over his girlfriend Kristen Stewart cheating on him. The humble Pattinson took the stage during the telethon and made no mention of the scandal, instead focusing only on the task at hand, to get his rabid “Twilight” fan base to donate some money.
Gwyneth Paltrow lives in London almost year-round, but she was happy to fly into Los Angeles to attend the 2012 telethon. In fact, she was a co-producer on the show, meaning she had a hand in trying to line up talent to come and perform or at least attend the show. With a roster in 2012 that included Emma Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Sofia Vergara, Halle Berry, Justin Timberlake, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Seth Rogen and many more, it is obvious that Paltrow did an excellent job. Hopefully she or someone just as competent can get a similar star-studded lineup for the 2014 event.
