Anthony Rizzo, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Felix Hernandez, David Price & Andrew McCutchen Share Real Home Video Footage and Photos of their Youth Baseball Days Alongside Inspiring Video of Kids Battling Cancer – PSA Debuts During Game Three of the World SeriesLOS ANGELES, CA, October 29, 2015 – Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is set to debut a new PSA campaign, titled “Potential,” in collaboration with SU2C founding donor, Major League Baseball. The moving PSA campaign offers an intimate look into the lives of MLB stars when they were young and developing their passion for baseball— featuring cancer survivor and Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, as well as Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, center fielder Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher David Price and center fielder Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The new PSAs debut Friday, October 30th during Game Three of the 2015 World Series. MLB and its 30 Clubs are the founding donors of SU2C, committing nearly $40 million, to date, to SU2C’s innovative cancer research.
Along with authentic home video footage and photographs of these MLB stars, the PSA highlights children who have survived, or are currently in the fight against, cancer. More than 163,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year worldwide. “Potential” reminds audiences that every great baseball player was once a kid too, dreaming of playing in the big leagues. The early childhood images underscore the message that every kid deserves the chance to dream big without the prospect of facing a cancer diagnosis in their way. To bring this powerful PSA to life, the campaign features 7-year-old Pearl Bucknam, a Wilm’s Tumor survivor, 9-year-old Dylan Roslauski whose Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is now in remission and 9-year-old Aidan Smithburger who is currently fighting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Roslauski is a graduate of the Pablove Foundation Shutterbugs Program, and Smithburger is associated with the Michael Hoefflin Foundation.
“Major League Baseball’s foremost goals revolve around children, and we are grateful that many kids aspire to call themselves Major Leaguers one day. In that spirit, the new public service announcement by our friends at Stand Up To Cancer is particularly meaningful,” said Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “Throughout the 2015 World Series, it will be an honor for our game to shine a light on boys and girls who are truly courageous and inspirational. Major League Baseball is proud to support Stand Up To Cancer’s mission to fund groundbreaking cancer research – and to make everyone who is diagnosed with cancer a survivor.”
“Kids’ aspirations to make it to the Major Leagues are such an enduring part of the tradition of baseball, and with this PSA these dreams take on a renewed significance,” said SU2C Co-Founder Rusty Robertson. “MLB has been there for us since the beginning. Beyond their extraordinary generosity, MLB has brought home the emotional impact of our movement in an inspiring way. When 50,000 people stand up in a baseball stadium holding placards with the names of loved ones in the fight or someone lost to cancer, it sends an important message to anyone struggling with this disease: ‘You are not alone. We are fighting alongside you’.”
In 2013, Stand Up To Cancer and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation collaborated to fund a Pediatric Cancer Dream Team, which is investigating new therapies for high-risk, difficult to treat childhood cancers. Through its Innovative Research Grants (IRG) program, SU2C has also supported nine individual early-career scientists and physicians whose work is focused on or could significantly impact pediatric cancer.
“It is so special to be involved in such an inspiring campaign with Stand Up To Cancer and MLB,” said Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs. “As a cancer survivor, I know firsthand what it takes to fight this disease— courage, strength, and the support of people all around you cheering you on. I’m proud to play for an organization that understands how powerful our voices are in the fight against cancer.” In addition to his involvement with SU2C, Rizzo is the founder and creator of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2012, which is run entirely by his family, close friends, and management team. Together, they work to provide support to children and their families battling cancer while raising money for cancer research.
The PSA was filmed in a community park in Los Angeles, and builds on the previous SU2C PSAs created with MLB, including the “Baseball Believes” campaign featuring celebrity ambassadors Steve Carell, Colin Hanks and Ken Jeong at Fenway Park. “Potential” was directed by Scott Vincent of Hungry Man and produced in collaboration with Major League Baseball and Stand Up To Cancer Production.
Since SU2C’s launch in 2008, Major League Baseball has provided year-round promotional support, including featured spotlights during the World Series, the MLB All-Star Game and many other individual games and activities throughout the year.
ABOUT STAND UP TO CANCER
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about progress being made in the fight against the disease. As SU2C’s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., conduct rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, visit http://www.standup2cancer.org.
ABOUT STAND UP TO CANCER & MLB
Major League Baseball and its 30 Clubs are the founding donors of SU2C and a lead donor since 2008, committing nearly $40 million to date. As the initiative’s founding donor, MLB has collaborated with SU2C on significant awareness-building efforts, including public service announcements, in-stadium promotion and fundraising events, and has supported SU2C throughout the year, including at the MLB All-Star Game and World Series. Stand Up To Cancer raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about progress being made in the fight against the disease. As SU2C’s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., conduct rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.
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