Celebrities and Notables From the Worlds of Film, Television, Music and Sports Join Lifetime Television's 13th Annual Multi-Platform 'Stop Breast Cancer For Life' Campaign

Celebrities and Notables From the Worlds of Film, Television, Music and Sports Join Lifetime Television's 13th Annual Multi-Platform 'Stop Breast Cancer For Life' Campaign

Whoopi Goldberg, Reba McEntire, NFL Players Among Stars Participating in PSA Campaign Created by Breast Cancer Survivors: Advertising Legend Linda Kaplan Thaler, Renowned Photographer Mary Ellen Mark and Cancer Vixen Author Marisa Acocella Marchetto

Partnership with iTunes for First-Ever 'Sneak Peek' of a Lifetime Original Movie, 'Matters of Life & Dating,' Starring Ricki Lake and Holly Robinson Peete, Which Premieres October 22nd and Includes Original Song Recorded by Grammy Award-Winner Mya

NEW YORK, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifetime Television's 13th annual "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" campaign gives new meaning to the word "bra" -- slang for "friend" -- when celebrities and notables from the worlds of film, television, music and sports, ranging from Fran Drescher, Daisy Fuentes, Whoopi Goldberg, Patti LaBelle, Ricki Lake, Reba McEntire, Mya, Holly Robinson Peete to a William Morris Agency executive and an ABC News Executive Producer to NFL stars Ronde Barber and Jake Delhomme, all share their very personal connections to breast cancer and lend their talents to the network's largest ever, multi-platform public awareness and advocacy campaign running throughout National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

   (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071002/NYTU113-a            http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071002/NYTU113-b)  

Informed by the leading breast cancer advocacy organizations, the new "Be My Strength, Be My Support, Be My Bra" on-air, online and print creative was developed by advertising executive Linda Kaplan Thaler, award-winning photographer Mary Ellen Mark and Cancer Vixen author Marisa Acocella Marchetto -- all breast cancer survivors -- to encourage more women and men to become part of a support system to promote early detection, donate to or volunteer for local charities and offer hope and friendship to those facing breast cancer. All three creators appear in the spots, as well as other survivors, activists and celebrities including Goldberg.

The campaign also includes its first-ever theme song -- "My Bra" -- written specifically for Lifetime's effort by multi-platinum songwriting sensation Kara DioGuardi (Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill) and Grammy-winning producer/songwriter James Poyser (Common, The Roots/Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill), and recorded by Grammy Award-winning singer Mya, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor. The song is featured in various on-air and online elements of the campaign, including its programming centerpiece, the specially-themed Lifetime Original Movie "Matters of Life & Dating," premiering Monday, October 22 at 9PM (ET/PT). The movie stars Ricki Lake as a single woman living with breast cancer who relies on help from her friends, including co-star Holly Robinson Peete, who returns to the dating scene following her mastectomy.

Lifetime Digital contributes to the campaign with a new version of its 2006 award-winning "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" mini-site on LifetimeTV.com along with offering both the song "My Bra" and the first-ever "sneak peek" of a Lifetime Original Movie "Matters of Life & Dating" on iTunes. This year's "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" initiative is sponsored by Lean Cuisine, Campbell's, Payless and Cancer Treatment Centers of America, with advertising support online from Lean Cuisine and Arimidex (AstraZeneca).

As well, Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter, Cablevision, Insight, Bright House, Mediacom, Suddenlink, CableOne plus many others are participating in the initiative, reaching over 100 million homes -- the most ever for the campaign. Lifetime also teamed up with Comcast and breastcancer.org to create a VOD and broadband campaign entitled Breast Cancer Hope, which offers viewers new, original educational content featuring Dr. Marissa Weiss, founder of breastcancer.org; a behind-the-scenes look at BRIDES Magazine's "Something Pink" fundraising effort featuring top designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Nicole Miller; and original movies and episodes of series previously aired on Lifetime Television.

"For 13 years, Lifetime has taken the lead in the cable industry by raising awareness of this terrible disease which claims the life of one woman every 13 minutes. This year, we are honored to work with a veritable who's who of stars contributing their talents, along with partnerships with nearly 200 distributors, advertising sponsors and 12 leading non-profit organizations, all banding together to fight breast cancer," said Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Lifetime Networks.

    Highlights of Lifetime's 2007 "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" Campaign    ON-AIR    * Lifetime Original Movie:  "Matters of Life & Dating," premiering      Monday, October 22, at 9PM (ET/PT).     * PSAs: "Bras" featured in the spots airing throughout October include      Whoopi Goldberg supporting William Morris Agency executive Cara Stein;      Welcome to Your Crisis bestselling author Laura Day with ABC News      Executive Producer Jessica Stedman Guff; Fran Drescher posing to      underscore the support she is offering women in her new Cancer      Schmancer Movement; Daisy Fuentes advocating for her mother, a 20-year      survivor; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme honoring the      memory of his loved ones; and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Ronde Barber      spotlighting his mother.     * Breast Cancer Awareness Vignettes: Reba McEntire, Patti Labelle, Mya,      Ricki Lake and others appear in spots throughout the month to encourage      viewers to get involved and make a difference.    DIGITAL/LIFETIMETV.COM    * The Stop Breast Cancer for Life mini-site   (http://www.lifetimetv.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer)      on LifetimeTV.com provides articles, features, video, photos, quizzes,      blogs, message boards and more.    * Lifetime is working with iTunes, the world's most popular online music      and video store, to provide a sneak peek of the LOM "Matters of Life      and Dating." Both the movie and Mya's song "My Bra" will be available      only on iTunes. All of Lifetime's proceeds of October downloads will go      to charities supporting breast cancer awareness.    * In addition to adding their name to the viral "end drive-through      mastectomies" petition, Lifetime's audience can create virtual      characters to join hands in an unbroken circle of support in a fun,      interactive activity.    * Real Arcade, Lifetime's partner in such popular downloadable games as      Sally's Salon, is pledging $1 to the cause for each of the first 50,000      installations of the Lifetime Real Arcade application in October.    * The Lifetime Smilebox application offers an easy way to send loved ones      a free digital reminder to get a mammogram featuring the visitors' own      photos, videos and music. Visitors can also inspire others with their      story of survival, celebration, or remembrance with a special digital      scrapbook. Both designs give recipients a one-click opportunity to sign      the online petition to pass the Breast Cancer Protection Act of 2007.      Lifetime and Smilebox will donate proceeds to the cause.    * The "Be My Support, Be My Bra" photo gallery features 12 of Mary Ellen      Mark's images.    * The Daily Pink, a popular breast cancer blog features news on medical      research, celebrity advocates and survivors, and ways to take action.    * Lifetime's audience can also use their mobile phones to show support by      texting PINK to 58463 and sending the name of a loved one to appear on-      air or online.    * Sprint is also supporting the cause by featuring engaging breast cancer      awareness content on their WAP site in support of Lifetime's      downloadable application.    * XM Radio will feature Lifetime's partners, experts, and celebrities in      interviews as well as running Lifetime PSAs throughout the month of      October.    COMMUNITY    * Heroes Celebration: On Tuesday, October 16th, Lifetime hosts the annual      "Heroes" reception in Los Angeles, sponsored by Lean Cuisine, honoring      the courageous breast cancer survivors, advocates and community leaders      who are helping to make a difference. In addition, local advance      screenings and awareness nights are being held in select markets.     * "Be My Strength, Be My Support, Be My Bra" Calendar: The unique      calendar features the photographs of Mary Ellen Mark, interspersed with      inspiring and educational information about early detection, treatment      and ways to get involved in the cause. The brochures are being      distributed throughout the country via Lifetime's hundreds of non-      profit and distribution partners, including on college campuses by Zeta      Tau Alpha, as well as in all 50 Betsey Johnson stores, as Betsey,      herself, is a breast cancer survivor.     * NFL Partnership: Lifetime and the NFL are teaming up to highlight      breast cancer awareness at home games of participating teams on October      7th and October 14th. A co-branded PSA with cancer advocate and      football fan Fran Drescher will run on jumbotrons and "Stop Breast      Cancer for Life" tattoos will be given to fans.    LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY    * Ending Drive-Through Mastectomies: With more than 20 million signatures      collected on Lifetimetv.com, the network continues to add to this      largest petition drive ever and deliver these voices to Congress to      urge them to pass the bipartisan Breast Cancer Protection Act of 2007.      The legislation would end the practice of "drive-through" mastectomies,      where women are sometimes forced to leave the hospital within hours      following their surgeries even if they and their doctors feel they are      not ready to go home.    PARTNERS      Lifetime's campaign is informed and supported by leading breast cancer      advocacy groups, including:    * The Anastacia Fund, Breast Cancer Action, The Breast Cancer Research      Foundation, breastcancer.org, National Breast Cancer Coalition, Nueva      Vida, SHARE (Self-Help for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer),      Sisters Network, Inc., Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, the      Young Survival Coalition and Zeta Tau Alpha.   

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071002/NYTU113-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071002/NYTU113-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN10, PRN11
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Lifetime Networks

CONTACT: Geralyn Lucas of Lifetime Networks, +1-212-424-7066,
lucas@lifetimetv.com; or Lindsay Drewel, +1-202-237-0434,
lindsay@lindsaydrewelpr.com, for Lifetime Networks

Web site: http://www.lifetimetv.com/
http://breastcancer.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment