NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stand Up for Heroes (SUFH), New York’s highly anticipated night of hope, healing and laughter, presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival (NYCF), returns for its 18th annual celebration to honor our nation’s veterans on Veterans Day, November 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET at David Geffen Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. SUFH will feature performances by comedians and musicians including Jim Gaffigan, Norah Jones, Mark Normand, DJ Questlove, Patti Scialfa, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, and more. The event will also highlight inspiring moments and the remarkable stories of resilience and service of the men and women who have served in our nation’s military. SUFH raises awareness and funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, whose mission is to ensure that our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families — those who stood for us — have stable and successful futures.
Stand Up for Heroes is sponsored by Bread Financial and presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival. In addition to Bread Financial, support for Stand Up for Heroes is brought to you by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Ann G and James B Ritchey Foundation, Car Donation Foundation, HSBC, Pendleton Whisky (Proximo Spirits), Philip Morris International (PMI), Citi, Gridiron Capital, Assured Guaranty, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Hudson Bay Capital, Salesforce, Cantor Fitzgerald, Aspida Insurance, Barbara Bradley Baekgaard Family Foundation, Henry Repeating Arms, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Navy Federal Credit Union, TD Securities, AmeriVet Securities, Breakthru Beverage Group, Academy Securities, Macquarie, Skadden, Mastercard, Slate Asset Management, Société Générale, Webster Bank and Tadler Law LLP.
“For 17 years, at each Stand Up for Heroes, I’ve been impressed to see so many come together to honor the bravery and resilience of our veterans,” said Bob Woodruff, ABC Correspondent and Co-Founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “Our 18th event will be another outstanding tribute to those who served and a reminder to all of us of the debt we owe them and their families for their service and sacrifices.”
In 2007, New York Comedy Festival founders Caroline Hirsch and Andrew Fox partnered with Bob and Lee Woodruff to create this special event as a tribute to impacted veterans and their loved ones. Since its inception, Stand Up for Heroes has raised $84 million to date to help all veterans and military families have successful futures. Over the past 17 years, comedians and performers including Stephen Colbert, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, The Lumineers, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Seth Meyers, Hasan Minhaj, Tracy Morgan, John Mulaney, Trevor Noah, Conan O’Brien, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, The War and Treaty, and Robin Williams have taken the stage to advocate for our extraordinary service members.
“Eighteen years of comedy and music have transformed into a powerful force for good. As Stand Up For Heroes celebrates its 18th anniversary on Veterans Day, alongside the New York Comedy Festival's 20th, we’re humbled to once again unite comedy's brightest stars with a shared mission: to honor and support our nation's heroes. Together, we'll laugh, inspire, and invest in the futures of those who've sacrificed so much for our freedom,” said Caroline Hirsch, Founder and Owner of the New York Comedy Festival and Board Member of the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
“Stand Up for Heroes, a night of hope, healing, and laughter to honor our nation’s veterans and their families, fittingly takes place on Veterans Day this year,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, CEO of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “As a nation, it's our privilege and our duty to stand with them, and to ensure they receive the support they’ve earned. Our event is a powerful platform to help us spread that message.”
"For the fourth consecutive year, Bread Financial is proud to continue our sponsorship with Stand Up for Heroes and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, reinforcing our commitment to advance the well-being of veterans and their families," said Ralph Andretta, president and CEO of Bread Financial. "At the heart of Bread Financial's values lies a deep dedication to equity and inclusion, driving us to support initiatives that foster opportunities for veterans to live more productive lives, improve their financial health and support their overall wellness. We know first-hand that investing in the work of the Foundation is one of the most effective ways to support veterans and their families where they need it most.”
“Our 18th Stand Up for Heroes promises to be another great evening of laughter, music, and entertainment, as well as a time to recognize our veterans, service members, and their families,” said Suni Harford, Board Chair of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “With our event falling on Veterans Day, it’s a perfect time to share our veterans' stories, and collectively honor them.”
Tickets for Stand Up for Heroes go on sale today, September 5th on
www.StandUpForHeroes.com.
ABOUT STAND UP FOR HEROES
Stand Up for Heroes launched in 2007 as the brainchild of Bob and Lee Woodruff and New York Comedy Festival founders Caroline Hirsch and Andrew Fox and is one of New York’s most anticipated nights of hope, healing and laughter, honoring our nation’s injured veterans and their families. Since its inception in 2007, SUFH has raised $84 million to create long-lasting, positive outcomes for our nation’s injured veterans, service members and their families. Stand Up for Heroes continues to expand and grow due to its remarkable success. Beginning at Town Hall, the event moved to the Beacon Theater in 2010, and to the Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2013 before going virtual in 2020. Over the past 16 years, comedians and performers including Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Ricky Gervais, John Mayer, Seth Meyers, Hasan Minhaj, John Mulaney, Trevor Noah, Conan O’Brien, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, Ray Romano and Robin Williams have taken the stage to advocate for our extraordinary service members. Stand Up for Heroes is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) and the New York Comedy Festival (NYCF).
ABOUT THE BOB WOODRUFF FOUNDATION
The Bob Woodruff Foundation was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has raised awareness about the tough challenges veterans and military families are facing and invested in solutions to help support them in the next chapter of their lives. To date, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested over $159 million to ensure that our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families — those who stood for us — have stable and successful futures. Visit the Bob Woodruff Foundation for more information.
ABOUT THE NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL
Launched in 2004, The New York Comedy Festival (NYCF) was created by Caroline Hirsch and Carolines. The NYCF has brought together the country’s top comedians including Judd Apatow, Bill Burr, Margaret Cho, Larry David, Kevin Hart, Jo Koy, Nick Kroll, Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, Conan O’Brien, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, Tracy Morgan, and many others to venues throughout the five boroughs of New York City. In 2007, NYCF launched the “Stand Up for Heroes” event to benefit The Bob Woodruff Foundation, which has featured performances by Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Ricky Gervais, John Mayer, Seth Meyers, John Mulaney, John Oliver, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jeff Ross, Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, and many others. To date, Stand Up For Heroes events have raised over $85 million. For more information, visit https://nycomedyfestival.com and follow on social media Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #MakeNYLaugh.
