“The Stand Up moment provides us with the opportunity to unite as the baseball community and to express our support for what is a phenomenal effort by Stand Up To Cancer.”  –Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner

As Stand Up To Cancer prepares for the return of its biennial roadblock telecast on Saturday, August 19, we take this opportunity to look back at our robust history with our founding donor, Major League Baseball. Since 2008, Major League Baseball has supported Stand Up To Cancer and its programs through extensive fan engagement and historic televised moments.  Let’s take a look back at the highlights over the years…

• Together, Stand Up To Cancer and MLB have created a movement with the iconic placard moment in which players, coaches, staff, and millions of baseball fans from all over the world come together to honor those whose lives have been impacted by cancer.

• The first placard moment was during the MLB All-Star game in 2011. Through the years, the placard moment has become a tentpole of fan engagement at annual MLB jewel events, including the MLB All-Star Game and World Series. Several MLB teams have also held placard moments at their home stadiums, bringing the total number of people who have stood up across the country to millions.

• Long-time pancreatic cancer survivor, Elizabeth O’Connor, received two treatments developed by Stand Up To Cancer-funded pancreatic cancer researchers and was featured in our very first telecast when she was expecting a child. Twelve years later, Elizabeth threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game Four of the 2021 World Series game with her now twelve-year-old son. Elizabeth has beat the odds for one of the most lethal cancers, and her story truly demonstrates the impact of MLB’s support of Stand Up To Cancer and its breakthrough research.

• Pediatric cancer survivor Luke Theodosiades, who was on the St. Baldricks Foundation – SU2C Pediatric Cancer Dream Team clinical trial, threw out the first pitch at Game Four of the 2022 World Series as First Lady Jill Biden and millions of MLB fans looked on.

• Jonny Gomes credits his play at the 2013 World Series and subsequent Boston Red Sox World Series win to the inspiration he felt from the Stand Up To Cancer moment.

• Melanoma survivor Karen Taphorn first heard about Stand Up To Cancer through the placard moment. Little did she know at the time that years later, it would be a Stand Up To Cancer-supported clinical trial that saved her life.

• Major League Baseball annually provides financial support to Stand Up To Cancer. To date, MLB has graciously donated over $50 million to support SU2C’s mission to turn everyone diagnosed with cancer into a long-term survivor.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Major League Baseball for choosing to Stand Up with us for 15 years. Through their unwavering support, we continue to further our understanding of many different types of cancer and to save lives.