Cancer is that disease that has affected, still affects, and could potentially affect all of us. Cancer is scary. While some people make it through, others do not, and, worse, it affects people of every age from babies to seniors. In Canada, cancer is the number one cause of death in children, and every hour 22 Canadians are diagnosed with cancer – nine of which will die. Crazy.

Stand Up To Cancer is a groundbreaking initiative created (initially in the USA) to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly to hopefully save lives… now. Since 2008, Stand Up to Cancer has aired specials featuring some of the most respected actors – including Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Justin Timberlake, and many more – to raise funds for this initiative.

Last Wednesday, July 9th, Stand Up to Cancer Canada ambassadors Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Kyle MacLachlan (Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives), and Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters, Saturday Night Live, etc.) joined members of the cancer research community at the MaRS Centre to announce that all four of Canada’s English language network broadcasters will simultaneously air, for the first time ever, a Canadian-inclusive Stand Up To Cancer Canada one-hour fundraising special on September 5th at 8pm.

CBC, CityTV, CTV and Global will join ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and dozens of US cable outlets in concurrently airing a commercial-free, star-studded special from Hollywood. The live show draws the entertainment community to rally the public around ending cancer’s reign as the leading cause of death.

Listening to the three ambassadors talk about how cancer has affected their lives, including Aykroyd losing his business partner to the disease only two days earlier, reinforced the importance of what Stand Up To Cancer is doing: finding groundbreaking ways to cure cancer forever. As MacLachlan spoke about how he hopes his 5-year-old son never knows the reality of cancer, the importance of supporting a cause like this one was only emphasized, and September 5th is a date marked in our calendars to join the fight.

Mark your calendar for September 5th at 8pm and support the Stand Up To Cancer special, because, one day (if it hasn’t already), cancer may affect you, too.

We spoke to the ambassadors last week about why being a representative of Stand Up To Cancer Canada is important to them and what it means for the future of cancer…

Nicki Laborie

Nicki Laborie is the Founder of View the VIBE. Nicki has spent her adult life everywhere from Montreal to New York to St. Maarten, and finally ended up in Toronto. She started her career studying fashion journalism at FIT followed by working in media and PR with some of the world's top fashion and luxury brands. Eventually she ended up back in the restaurant business working with hot culinary spots in NYC, St. Maarten and Toronto, and opening her own restaurants, Bar Reyna, Reyna inside Chef's Assembly Hall and Reyna on King. Her combined experience is what inspired her to start View the VIBE back in 2010.