Stand-Up for Heroes Benefit to be Transmitted Exclusively to U.S. Military Troops at Home and Abroad

NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bob Woodruff Foundation and The New York Comedy Festival today announced the Stand-Up for Heroes benefit will be transmitted to U.S. military troops on bases in Afghanistan and Iraq and injured service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, where it will be seen live.

The official kick off of the New York Comedy Festival and part of the Bob Woodruff Foundation's nationally recognized public education movement, Stand-Up for Heroes takes place Wednesday, November 3rd at 8 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre in New York. Jon Stewart will host the event, with special performances by other music and comedy icons, including Jerry Seinfeld, Tony Bennett, and Bruce Springsteen.  Joining them will be Joel McHale, Bill Burr, the 4Troops, and the Max Weinberg Big Band.  Presented by The Paul E. Singer Foundation and GFI Group, Inc., Stand-Up brings together leaders from business, entertainment and philanthropy to raise funds to help injured service members and their families as they return to their communities.

The broadcast to the troops, a first for the event, will be made possible with the help of the United States Army, Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) and ABC News, reaching hundreds of thousands of service members and support personnel serving at six bases in Iraq (Baghdad and Balad) and Afghanistan (Kabul, Kandahar, Camp Leatherneck, and Bagram).  Stand-Up for Heroes will also be transmitted live via satellite to the nearly hundreds of service members recovering or rehabilitating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  

"Laughter and music can be very therapeutic.  For our service members it's an escape from the stress and fear they can experience on the battlefield or during their recovery," said Bob Woodruff, The Foundation's co-founder.  In the wake of the injury that changed my life, my family and I turned to the only first aid we knew: laughter.  I don't think there could be anything better than giving these brave men and women a few hours of comedy and great music," he added.

"Service members and their families — especially those with hidden and physical injuries of war — face mounting challenges. By ensuring they have successful futures, we honor the sacrifices they have made," said Rene Bardorf, Executive Director, Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Since its founding, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested over $6 million, reaching more than 500,000 service members, support personnel, veterans and their families nationwide.  Funds raised at Stand-Up for Heroes will be quickly deployed to programs that connect injured troops to the help they need — from physical rehabilitation and counseling, to education, employment and financial assistance, to help with larger issues like homelessness and suicide.

Caroline Hirsch, founder of the New York Comedy Festival and owner of Carolines on Broadway, added: "We're delighted we can share this special night with our troops.  With the support of our talented comedians and performers, we hope to continue raising awareness and funds for those who are injured as well as for their families."

For the fourth consecutive year, all living presidents — President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, President William J. Clinton, President George H. W. Bush, and President James E. Carter — comprise the Stand-Up for Heroes Presidential Committee; executives of the major television network join as co-chairs.  

"These leaders share our belief that it's about the warrior, not the war.  They're standing up for those who have stood so bravely for us," Lee Woodruff, co-founder, said.

Tickets to Stand-Up for Heroes can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or at www.ReMIND.org.

ABOUT THE BOB WOODRUFF FOUNDATION:

The Bob Woodruff Foundation provides resources and support to service members, veterans and their families to successfully reintegrate into their communities so they may thrive physically, psychologically, socially and economically.  Through a public education movement called ReMIND.org, the Bob Woodruff Foundation helps educate the public about the needs of service members returning from war — especially the 1 in 5 service members who have sustained hidden injuries such as Traumatic Brain Injury and Combat Stress, including Post Traumatic Stress, Depression and Anxiety — and empowers communities nationwide to take action.   Across the country, the Bob Woodruff Foundation collaborates with other organizations and experts to identify and solve issues related to the return of service members from combat to civilian life and invests in programs that connect our troops to the support they need on the home front.  

Stand Up for Heroes is presented by major sponsors The Paul E. Singer Foundation and GFI Group, Inc.  Other sponsors include: Women's Day Brand Group, Disney-ABC Television Group, art of grace, Brown-Forman, Purdue Pharma, L.P., Force Protection Industries, Inc., PepsiCo, NBC Universal, Comedy Central, Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, Thomson Reuters, Interbrand, CNN, A&E Television Networks, and HBO.

For more information about the Bob Woodruff Foundation, visit www.ReMIND.org

ABOUT THE NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL:

The New York Comedy Festival is produced by Carolines on Broadway and United Entertainment Group in association with Comedy Central. The festival has featured some of the country's top comedians, including Bill Maher, Tracy Morgan, Dane Cook, Sarah Silverman, Artie Lange, Katt Williams, Steven Wright, Denis Leary, and Joy Behar, to name a few.   In 2007, the festival launched the Stand Up for Heroes event to benefit the Bob Woodruff Foundation.  

New York Comedy Festival media sponsors are Time Out New York and the New York Post. Jameson…Taste Above All Else is the official Whiskey, B.R. Guest is a signature partner, Travelocity is the official travel sponsor of the 2010 New York Comedy Festival, and Energizer and Buick Regal are supporting sponsors.  

For more information visit www.nycomedyfestival.com.

SOURCE The Bob Woodruff Foundation; The New York Comedy Festival