Stars from the world of daytime drama television, past and present, will come together for a unique livestream event. Daytime Stands Up: A Stand Up to Cancer Benefit… We all have a story.
Stand Up to Cancer’s three-hour fundraiser with hosts Alan Locher and Michael Fairman is scheduled for May 16. It will star Eric Braeden, Eileen Davidson, Don Diamont, Cameron Mathison, Erika Slezak and others, along with musical performances and stories of emotional on- and off-screen experiences with cancer. Celebrity guests will also join the effort to encourage viewers to support much-needed research and new cancer treatments.
Daytime is up will stream live in between from 8-11 p.m. ET and 5-8 p.m. PT on Locher and Fairman’s YouTube channel and StandUpToCancer.org/DaytimeStandsUp.
“Daytime television invites viewers into the personal lives of characters, often bringing important topics like cancer screenings into living rooms and near water coolers,” Locher said. “Soaps ran the first story about cancer in 1962, years before the topic was discussed in the mainstream, and it left an indelible impression: an entire generation of women planning a potentially life-saving Pap smear for the first time.”
Fairman added: “For so many viewers, this brought the issue into focus. Nowadays it is almost impossible to avoid it. But there is hope in cancer research, thanks to organizations like Stand Up To Cancer.”
From May 16-26, SU2C will simultaneously launch a 10-day eBay silent auction for soap opera fans to bid on a wide range of items, including a meet-and-greet experience with the cast of NBC Days of our livesan autographed script from the cast of CBS’ The young and the restlesssigned merch by CBS’ The bold and the beautiful Cast, a 1:1 video call with General HospitalCynthia Watros, Maura West and Laura Wright as well as daytime legends Robert Newman, Vincent Irizarry and Colleen Zenk and more.
Here are some of the highlights of the live stream:
- Stories about cancer survivors from general Hospital Cameron Mathison and “The Young and the Restless” Colleen Zenk, who will reflect on the impact of making her diagnoses public; and 2024 Daytime Emmy nominee Eric Braeden, who shares his cancer journey and memories of his lover The young and the restless Co-star Meg Bennett, who died of cancer on April 11.
- Moving tribute to soap stars who lost their battle with cancer, including daytime icon Jackie Zeman, who played nurse Bobbie Spencer on the series General Hospital for 45 years, shared by daughters Cassidy Macleod and Lacey Gorden; Elizabeth Hubbard, who played the legendary Lucinda Walsh As the world turns and Dr. Althea Davis continued The doctors, shared by her on-screen daughter Martha Byrne and her real-life son Jeremy Bennett; Two-time Emmy Award winner Jerry verDorn (Example / To live a life), shared by widow Beth VerDorn and his on-screen wife Examplefriend and co-star Liz Keifer; and Kamar de los Reyes, shared by him To live a life Co-stars are Michael Easton (general hospital) Trevor St John (The young and the restless).
- Poignant reflections from actors who have portrayed breast cancer survivors, including Sharon Case and Eileen Davidson The young and the restless; Erika Slezak To live a life; Tina Sloan and Kim Zimmer Example and more.