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Sep 5, 2008 9:44 pm US/Pacific
Behind The Scenes At 'Stand Up To Cancer'
HOLLYWOOD (CBS) ―
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Heartthrob Rob Lowe lost his mother to breast cancer in 2003.
Jenn McBride/CBS
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The event was hosted by CBS's Katie Couric, NBC's Brian Williams and ABC's Charles Gibson.
CBS
Change seems to be the lynchpin of this presidential election as we move into the final two months of campaigning. Everyone has an opinion on what kind of change our country needs, but Friday night, all three major networks swapped their political hats for humanitarian ones in an effort to raise funds and awareness for one change we all believe to be imperative: the eradication of cancer.
CBS's Katie Couric, who lost her husband to colon cancer and her sister to pancreatic cancer, ABC's Charles Gibson and NBC's Brian Williams all took the stage at the Kodak Theatre to co-host "Stand Up To Cancer," an unprecedented event simulcast live on all three major networks. (And you have to give them props after covering multiple hurricanes and back-to-back party conventions. They must be exhausted.)
What you may not know is that our very own Katie Couric was instrumental in making SU2C happen. She joined forces with Hollywood producer Laura Ziskin and former Paramount Pictures chief Sherry Lansing to get the telethon into motion.
"For people struggling with this disease, or those who will be diagnosed, scientific breakthroughs can be a matter of life or death -- literally. We want everyone to know that they can make a difference in this fight," Couric said in a statement. "Television is a notoriously competitive business. For the three major broadcast networks to join forces is a wonderful example of the power of working together, and we're very grateful to have the opportunity to reach people all over the country through this show."
We caught up with CBS stars Neil Patrick Harris of "How I Met Your Mother" and Melina Kanakaredes of "CSI: New York," who shared how cancer has affected them personally. But the disease could not hit closer to home for survivors such as Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow and Marissa Jaret Winokur, who also rocked the carpet donning "Survivor" T-shirts.
"Just Stand Up," a song featuring Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, Carrie Underwood and others, was quite the performance, but nothing topped hearing James Taylor perform his classic song, "Fire and Rain," with Sheryl Crow.
Even if you missed the event -- and we doubt you did because it was on every channel -- you can watch interviews and some of the performances right here in the video player. But most importantly, be sure to click on
Stand Up To Cancer and donate today. This is a change we should all be voting for.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
