Jim Gaffigan, Ricky Gervais, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, and The Max Weinberg Big Band Join Forces With The Bob Woodruff Foundation and The New York Comedy Festival to Bring Laughter and Music to the 5th Annual Stand Up for Heroes Event

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) and The New York Comedy Festival (NYCF) partner for the fifth consecutive year to present Stand Up for Heroes at the Beacon Theatre in New York on Wednesday, November 9th at 8 p.m.   As the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 is upon us, this event supports those who continue to fight for this country's freedom and helps heal the physical and psychological wounds of war. This event kicks off the New York Comedy Festival, which runs November 9 – 13.  American Express ® Cardmembers can get advance tickets on September 14th from 11:00am– 11:00pm.  Tickets for the general public go on sale on September 15th through www.ticketmaster.com, www.beacontheatre.com, or www.nycomedyfestival.com.  Corporate sponsor packages and VIP benefit packages can be purchased by emailing [email protected].

Part of the Bob Woodruff Foundation's nationally recognized public education movement, Stand Up for Heroes 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.   Stand Up for Heroes has become a highly anticipated entertainment event as well as a much-needed respite for the military families who attend.

"In its fifth year, Stand up for Heroes is one night that Lee and I hope we can lessen the burden, converge communities, and offer entertainment and comedic relief to those who have sacrificed so much for us. This is a time to salute our wounded troops; enjoy the performances and demonstrate our continued commitment to the cause," said Bob Woodruff, co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation and ABC News Journalist.

Ricky Gervais, who will be lending his support and comedic genius to the evening said, "There is no greater honor for me than being asked to be part of this event."

"We couldn't be more honored to once again be partnering with Bob and Lee Woodruff in their tireless efforts to raise awareness and funding in support of the injured service members who have defended our freedom at home and abroad," says Caroline Hirsch, founder of The New York Comedy Festival and owner of Carolines on Broadway.  "It's especially gratifying to provide support for these troops and their families on this 10th anniversary of 9/11."  

The Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested more than $9.5 million dollars in program spending to help wounded warriors and their families overcome the challenges they face as they transition and heal from the physical and hidden wounds of war.  Funds raised at Stand Up for Heroes will be invested in programs that connect 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.  

Now in its eighth year, The New York Comedy Festival (NYCF), in association with COMEDY CENTRAL, will take place November 9 – 13 in New York City with Stand Up for Heroes as the kick-off event.  The five-day festival will continue with an all-star line-up featuring some of the biggest names in the industry including Bill Burr, Louis  CK, Ricky  Gervais, Kathy Griffin, Jo Koy, Bill Maher, Tracy Morgan, Norm Macdonald, Russell Peters, John Pinette, Sarah Silverman and Wanda Sykes. They will be joined by more than 150 other comedians performing at iconic New York City venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Beacon Theatre, Town Hall, and BAM. The sponsors of the 2011 New York Comedy Festival are Energizer, JetBlue, Pandora and Toyota. The media sponsors are NBC4, New York Post, Time Out New York, Variety, Verizon FiOS and the Village Voice.

SUFH sponsors include GFI Group Inc., art of grace, The Paul E. Singer Foundation, New York Comedy Festival, Purdue Pharma LP, A + E Networks, NBC Universal, HBO and Rain CII.

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 help they need — from individual needs like physical accommodations, medical care and counseling, to larger social issues like homelessness and suicide.   The Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested over $9.5 million, impacting more than 1,000,000 service members, support personnel, veterans and their families nationwide.  

For sponsorship opportunities email [email protected]

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

ABOUT THE NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL:

Now in its eighth year, The New York Comedy Festival is produced by Carolines on Broadway in association with Comedy Central.  The festival has featured some of the country's top comedians, including Dane Cook, Artie Lange, Margaret Cho, Katt Williams, Aziz Ansari, and Joel McHale, to name a few.   In 2007, the festival launched the "Stand-Up for Heroes" event to benefit The Bob Woodruff Foundation, which has featured performances by Robin Williams, Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black, Ricky Gervais, Conan O'Brien, and Bruce Springsteen.   For more information on each event and to purchase tickets, please visit  www.nycomedyfestival.com.

SOURCE The New York Comedy Festival