Tonight, on many network television channels, the Stand Up To Cancer event (SU2C) will be broadcast to millions of viewers.  Chances are you know someone with cancer.  It’s estimated that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes.

Charitable causes get great exposure through social media, especially with celebrity endorsements.  No doubt you’ve seen someone who did the water bucket challenge for ALS.  There have been 3.7 million videos uploaded with the hashtag #ALSicebucketchallenge and over $100 million raised for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  That’s quite an awesome viral marketing movement for a cause not many people are knowledgeable about.

Did you know?  4,563 is the number of people in the U.S. who were diagnosed with cancer today

Who do you know?  Perhaps it’s the friend from childhood that tells you after some tests following a seizure, he has brain cancer.  Or it’s the friend that beat skin cancer 12 years ago only to find a relapse has spread throughout his body.  Or a friend, whose husband and father of their two children, has lost his two-year battle with cancer.

Tonight, I’ll be attending the Dallas SU2C Watch Party to remember these friends and help out in the fight.  If I’m lucky, I’ll get a call from a celebrity and pledge to the cause.  This organization has had a strong impact in the last 6 years.  Here’s a snapshot.

• Founded: May 28, 2008
• Funds Pledged since inception: $261 Million
• Number of scientists participating in SU2C-funded research: over 750
• Clinical Trials funded by SU2C: 141
• Patients enrolled in SU2C supported Clinical Trials: Over 5,000 patients
• Number of institutions joining in SU2C’s collaborative mission: 112

This cause means a lot to me.  As a 25-year survivor of childhood cancer, I’m one of the lucky ones.  I’ve been in remission this whole time and have tried to maintain a level of wellness to prevent a relapse.  I also live differently: every day is a blessing.  So on this day, I’ll watch, I’ll pledge, and root for those who are in this fight.  I hope you will too.

Samuel L. Jackson Stands Up For Childhood Cancer