The campaign to raise money for cancer
research which included the telethon that aired on ABC, CBS and NBC
simultaneously pushed total donations for cancer research beyond $100 million. Celebrities
and broadcast networks joined efforts in an attempt to raise money for research
to battle the insidious disease.
“One hundred percent of the more than $100
million raised will go directly to funding the research programs necessary to
battle this insidious disease,” said Lisa Paulsen, head of the Entertainment Industry
Foundation, in a statement. The funds will be used for new research and the
development of experimental therapies for cancer patients, in particular, “translational
research,” which advises scientists to join efforts rather than compete.
Stars from music, sports, TV and film came together
for Friday’s live telethon which was broadcast simultaneously for one
prime-time, commercial-free hour on ABC, CBS and NBC.
Jack Black, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry
and Keanu Reeves, along with presidential nominees John McCain and Barack Obama
were among the celebrities participating in the show hosted by Katie Couric,
anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” Brian Williams of NBC and Charles Gibson of
ABC. The show also featured celebrity guests Patrick Swayze, Beyonce, Mariah Carey,
Jack Black, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston, Sheryl Crow,
Christina Applegate and many others. Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer came
onstage and spoke about his hopes for cancer research. “Tonight I stand here,
another individual living with cancer, who asks that we not wait any longer, and
I ask only one thing of you: Please stand up with me,” he said.
The celebrities and the news anchors of
each of the three televisions have had relatives that have died because of the
disease. Couric lost her husband in 1998 after a long sufferance of colon
cancer. For those who struggle with cancer, scientific discoveries can be a
matter of life or death, Couric said.
Cancer is a class of diseases in which a
group of cells shows uncontrolled growth, invasion and metastasis (the disease
spreads to other locations of the body). The potentially deadly disease can
affect people of any age, but the risk of getting infected with the disease
increases once with the age.
There is still hope for a better treatment.
Scientists hope the newly discovered map of the genetic mutations involved in
two of the most aggressive cancers, glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer may
eventually lead to the discovery of better treatments, new diagnostic tests and
new drugs to cure the disease.
Every year in the U.S, more than half a
million people die from this disease. Cancer is the second cause of death in
the country after heart disease. The American Cancer Society predicts that
1,437,180 new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year.
“Worldwide, cancer kills more than six
million people annually,” Gibson said. One of the goals of the “noble
experiment” was to raise public awareness, “that may be more important than the
money,” Gibson said.
The audience was impressing, with
preliminary ratings saying the audience has reached 10.3 million for the hour.
Organizers will work with the American
Association of Cancer Research, the oldest and largest cancer research
organization worldwide, to distribute the money. Fundraising will continue by
various means, including the charitable organization’s Web site.
The event brings awareness to the public
that people fighting cancer still need support and highlights the fact that
specialists are still searching for a cure.
