Katie Couric set to host star-studded "Stand Up to Cancer" event
If you plan to say in and watch TV on Friday night, it will be tough to miss the "Stand Up to Cancer" telecast.
The fourth biennial charity event, which aims to raise funds for cancer research, will air on 32 broadcast and cable networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, Showtime, HBO, ESPN, E!, the National Geographic Channel, Bravo, ABC Family and VH1.
In a sign of the times, the broadcast will also be live-streamed for the first time on Yahoo and Hulu.
And there's a twist this year.
According to organizers, instead of a standard phone bank staffed by celebrities, Yahoo journalist Katie Couric will serve as host inside a "digital lounge," where stars will encourage viewers to support the cause. Celebrities inside the digital lounge will also reach out to viewers via phone, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms through a campaign dubbed "We're Calling You." Supporters who want to get involved can sign up here.
Couric lost her first husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer in 1998. Couric's sister, Virginia state senator Emily Couric, died in 2001 from pancreatic cancer.
Just yesterday, Couric announced that her mother, Elinor, had died at age 91. Despite the recent loss, Couric has showed up at rehearsals for the "Stand Up to Cancer" event, which is being held this year at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
"Mom was proud of @StandUpToCancer so I am here," she wrote on her Twitter page Friday.
Some of the stars expected to attend the event include Robert Downey Jr., Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Jon Hamm, Kiefer Sutherland, Ben Stiller, Kevin Bacon, Steve Carell, Sofia Vergara, Anna Kendrick, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Pierce Brosnan, Melissa McCarthy and Josh Gad.
The Who, Jennifer Hudson, Lupe Fiasco & Common, Ariana Grande and Dave Matthews Band will provide musical performances during the event, which is being co-executive produced by Gwyneth Paltrow.
The hour-long "Stand Up to Cancer" broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
Click here to donate and find out more about the organization.
