World-famous Beverly Hills boutique Kitson will launch a collection of celebrity-designed holiday merchandise to benefit Stand Up To Cancer at their Robertson Boulevard store on Wednesday, December 10. All Kitson boutiques and www.shopkitson.com will carry the merchandise with proceeds being donated to Stand Up To Cancer, the groundbreaking initiative aimed at raising funds to accelerate groundbreaking cancer research and get therapies to patients more quickly.
The event will be hosted by actress and singer, Mandy Moore, who participated in the historic SU2C television event on September 5, as well as actor, Dave Annable, the star of the hit ABC series, “Brothers & Sisters.” The event is co-sponsored by the athletic apparel line, Moeben, and the fashionable handbag collection, JT Carpet Bags.
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“We are eternally grateful for the continuing support of the Hollywood community and the generous designers who have lent their time and talent to this cause,” said Laura Ziskin, executive producer and founding member of Stand Up To Cancer. “Today’s cancer scientists are on the verge of life-saving discoveries, but they desperately need the funds to mount an all-out assault. The money raised from the sale of these beautiful items will go directly to funding these important research programs. Together we will defeat this insidious disease.”
Products for the fundraising initiative include: a star necklace designed by Jennifer Meyer, including an 18 karat yellow gold star, an 18k white gold star, a sterling silver star and a diamond pavé star necklace; Love Zooey Tees by Alice Heller (men’s and women’s T-shirts and hoodies) and a rope handle bag; a set of Graf & Lantz felt star ornaments; and a Kumi KooKoon cashmere and silk throw blanket. The star is a symbol for Stand Up To Cancer’s Constellation – a feature on standup2cancer.org, where one can launch a star for anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis.
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From its launch on May 28, 2008, through the historic September 5, 2008 multi-network primetime telecast, Stand Up To Cancer has raised more than $100 million to fund translational cancer research programs. This unprecedented collaboration among the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, over 100 celebrities, and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy is designed to end cancer’s reign as a leading cause of death.
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and was established by a group of media, entertainment and philanthropic leaders whose lives have been affected by cancer in significant ways. The group includes Katie Couric; the Entertainment Industry Foundation, represented by Board of Directors Chairperson Sherry Lansing (Founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation), CEO Lisa Paulsen and Vice President Kathleen Lobb; Laura Ziskin, who produced the Sept. 5 broadcast; the Noreen Fraser Foundation and its executive, Noreen Fraser; Rusty Robertson and Sue Schwartz of the Robertson Schwartz Agency; and nonprofit executive Ellen Ziffren. Both Ziskin and Fraser are cancer survivors.
SU2C’s Dream Team approach to funding translational cancer research is designed to bring together the best and brightest scientists from different disciplines at research centers across the country and internationally who will work collaboratively to quickly address today’s critical problems in patient care. Monies will also be used to support innovative cancer research projects, which are often deemed “too risky” by conventional funding sources.
As a partner in Stand Up To Cancer, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), led by its prestigious SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee, provides scientific oversight, expert review of the research projects, and grants administration.
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