The New York Comedy Festival and Bob Woodruff Foundation Present The 13th Annual Stand Up for Heroes
Stand Up for Heroes (SUFH)— New York’s most anticipated night of hope, healing and laughter—returns for its 13th annual celebration to honor our nation’s impacted veterans and their families, on Monday, November 4, at 8:00 p.m. at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Stand Up for Heroes is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) and the New York Comedy Festival (NYCF) and is brought to you by Veterans on Wall Street, supported by founding sponsor GFI Group Inc., and Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
Ronny Chieng, Hasan Minhaj, John Oliver, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, and other surprise guests will take the stage at Stand Up for Heroes for a unique evening of comedy and music to raise funds and awareness in support of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. SUFH kicks off the country’s largest comedy festival, which runs from November 4 through November 10, taking place at New York’s most prestigious venues and featuring performances from over 200 comedians in more than 100 shows across the city.
Beyond the laughs, the evening will feature inspiring moments, memorable surprises, and stories of resilience while recognizing the men and women who have served in our nation’s military.
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 wounded, ill, and injured veterans and their loved ones. To date, SUFH has raised more than $50 million for the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s mission to ensure that veterans, service members and their families thrive in the next chapter of their lives.
“Even after 13 years of Stand Up for Heroes, the event continues to inspire our audience and our nation,” said Bob Woodruff, ABC News correspondent and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “We can’t forget that these brave individuals stand up to serve in our military, and we need to show our support by standing up for them in return.”
“The New York Comedy Festival is extremely proud to continue to partner with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to present Stand Up for Heroes,” said Caroline Hirsch, Founder of the New York Comedy Festival and Carolines on Broadway, and Board Member of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “This special event continues to bring joy and laughter to the extraordinary veterans who have risked their lives for our country. It is a humbling feeling to provide support for veterans and their families.”
For over a decade, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has been a change-maker in the veteran space, forging partnerships and uniting leaders at the highest levels of government, military, business and philanthropy. Since its start, BWF has invested more than $65 million to find, fund and shape the most innovative programs supporting our heroes, touching the lives of veterans and their families across the country. In 2018, the foundation awarded $5 million in grants to best-in-class programs nationwide.
“To improve the quality of services across the military-veteran community, we invest in programs and partnerships that identify and fill gaps in services to address the most urgent and emerging needs of our veterans and military families,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “This event is a special opportunity to celebrate and connect with the veterans and families that our foundation is dedicated to supporting.”
SUFH has seen immense talent over the past 12 years, including comedians and performers such as Tony Bennett, Jimmy Car, Eric Church, Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Ricky Gervais, Whoopi Goldberg, John Mayer, Seth Meyers, Hasan Minhaj, John Mulaney, Trevor Noah, Conan O’Brien, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, Ray Romano and Robin Williams.
Tickets for Stand Up for Heroes go on sale Tuesday, September 10th at 12:00PM ET through bobwoodrufffoundation.org, nycomedyfestival.com and ticketmaster.com.
The NYCF is produced by Carolines on Broadway and is made possible by its partners: Citi, ABC 7, iHeart Radio, Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment, New York Magazine, New York Post, SiriusXM Radio, Variety and Vulture.
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 more than $50 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. Over the past 12 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 (BWF) was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was hit by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has led an enduring call to action for people to stand up for heroes and meet the emerging and long-term needs of today’s veterans. To date, BWF has invested more than $65 million to Find, Fund and Shape™ programs that have empowered impacted veterans, service members and their family members, across the nation. For more information, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @Stand4Heroes.
ABOUT THE NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL
Now in its sixteenth year, the New York Comedy Festival is produced by Carolines on Broadway. The festival has featured the country’s top comedians, including Judd Apatow, Hannibal Buress, Bill Burr, Margaret Cho, Billy Crystal, Larry David, Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Norm Macdonald, Bill Maher, Tig Notaro, Nick Offerman, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and Wanda Sykes, 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 Stephen Colbert, Ricky Gervais, John Mayer, Seth Meyers, John Mulaney, Trevor Noah, John Oliver, Conan O’Brien, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, and Robin Williams, among others. To date, the “Stand Up for Heroes” events have raised over $50 million. For more information please visit the NYCF website, like the NYCF Facebook page, and follow the NYCF on Twitter, @NYComedyFest.
PRESS CONTACTS:
NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL | 5W PR | 212.999.5585
NICOLE MILAZZO | [email protected]
BOB WOODRUFF FOUNDATION | 646.762.2286
KATHERINE COOK | [email protected]
