WILL.I.AM AND GEORGE LOPEZ JOIN STAND UP TO CANCER AND PROVIDENCE IN PSA TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING

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May 16, 2023, 09:00 ET

Former California State Senator Isadore Hall III Featured in Print PSA Campaign

LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Grammy®-winning musician will.i.am and stand-up comedian and actor George Lopez have joined Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) and Providence for a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) that raise awareness about colorectal cancer screenings, early detection and prevention, and focus on reaching medically underserved communities.

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Also appearing in the PSA campaign is former California State Sen. Isadore Hall III. The campaign launched today and is in both English and Spanish. The PSAs featuring will.i.am and George Lopez will be placed across print, broadcast, radio, digital and out-of-home outlets. Hall will be featured in the out-of-home campaign. In the broadcast and radio PSAs, will.i.am and Lopez recite poetry written by two Los Angeles-based poets.

"So many of us have a personal connection to cancer, myself included," said will.i.am. "The statistics don't lie so I want to inspire others to spread the word, especially those in the Black community who need to increase participation in screening programs. Make good health, including getting screened, your top priority - do it for your husband or wife, your kids, your nieces and nephews, for everyone you love."

"I've been a huge supporter of Stand Up To Cancer for many years, and I'm proud to be working with them and Providence on this important campaign," Lopez said. "The more people who get screened, the more lives will be saved. To play even a small role in that is incredibly meaningful to me."

The national PSA campaign supports a larger collaboration among SU2C, Providence Saint John's Health Center and Exact Sciences to increase colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% within three Stand Up To Cancer Zones™: Greater Boston, Los Angeles and Great Plains Tribal Communities in South Dakota. These zones are regions of focus for the SU2C Colorectal Cancer Health Equity Dream Team as they include diverse and distinct communities that are medically underserved and have particularly low screening rates for colorectal cancer.

"In living our mission of outreach, we are driven to advocate in our communities of color to advance potentially life-saving colorectal cancer screenings, and help erase health inequalities," said Michael Ricks, chief executive, Providence Saint John's Health Center located in Santa Monica. "We are so thankful to Stand Up To Cancer's celebrity ambassadors will.i.am and George Lopez, as well as Isadore Hall III, for helping to shed light on the importance of colorectal cancer screening, which can truly save lives."

Colorectal cancer occurs in the colon or rectum and is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Black Americans are about 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups. Screening rates for Americans 50-75 years old are 59% for Hispanic people, 66% for Black people and 69% for white people. Yet, screening can help detect colorectal cancer early, making it one of the most preventable types of cancer. When caught early, colon cancer is beatable in 91% of cases and rectal cancer is beatable in 90% of cases.

"This collaboration is critical to addressing the disparities and challenges of this disease. We're incredibly grateful for Providence's support as we work to increase screening and fund cutting-edge research to help save lives and avoid more cases of colorectal cancer," said Russell Chew, president and CEO of Stand Up To Cancer. "We're thrilled to have will.i.am, George Lopez and Isadore Hall III bring attention to the importance of colorectal cancer prevention to further encourage the public to be proactive about their health."

The broadcast PSA was directed by Monty Marsh and produced by Chris Pizzi. The print campaign was produced by Pentagram Design. The poem recited by George Lopez was written by Jessica Wilson; the poem recited by will.i.am was written by Aiyana Sha'niel.

To learn more about colorectal cancer screening options, visit StandUpToCancer.org/ColonCancer. To view the PSAs, visit providence.org/coloncancer.

ABOUT STAND UP TO CANCER
Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and was initially launched as a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Established in 2008 by media and entertainment leaders, SU2C utilizes these communities' resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and to highlight progress being made in the fight against the disease. As of January 2022, more than 2,000 scientists representing more than 210 institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.

Under the direction of our Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., SU2C conducts rigorous competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and ensure collaboration across research programs.

Current members of the SU2C Founders and Advisors Committee (FAC) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Russell Chew serves as SU2C's president and CEO.

For more information, visit StandUpToCancer.org, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE
Providence is a national, not-for-profit Catholic health system comprising a diverse family of organizations and driven by a belief that health is a human right. With 52 hospitals, over 1,000 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing, and many other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ more than 120,000 caregivers serving communities across seven states – Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif. Learn about our vision of health for a better world at Providence.org.