The Bob Woodruff Family Fund
Aids America's Wounded Warriors

STAND UP FOR HEROES:
A Benefit for the Bob Woodruff Family Fund

by Emily Burgess

Conan O’Brien Set To Host the Star-Studded New York Comedy Festival Benefit for America's Wounded Warriors

November 7, 2007 At New York City’s Town Hall

The New York Comedy Festival (NYCF) is proud to announce a partnership with the Bob Woodruff Family Fund (BWFF) in presenting Stand Up for Heroes: A Benefit for the Bob Woodruff Family Fund.

This unique occasion is an evening of laughter, tributes and gratitude dedicated to our nation’s injured service members, with proceeds from the evening going to the BWFF.

Bob Woodruff was named co-anchor of ABC's "World News Tonight" in December 2005. On January 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, he was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq. Both Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, sustained multiple life-threatening wounds. Bob spent five weeks in a medically-induced coma before going on to months of in- and out-patient rehabilitation.

The Woodruff family established the Fund in February 2007 to raise awareness and money to assist members of the military injured while serving our country.

"We are a very lucky family with Bob's recovery and we are well aware that not every family has the outcome we have had," said Bob and Lee Woodruff. "We were determined to use our journey to draw attention to the number of traumatic brain injuries from this war and to ensure that all service members returning from the war continue to receive the best care and attention in rehab and beyond."

The Bob Woodruff Family Fund assists service members injured while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Special emphasis is placed on the "hidden signature injuries" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – traumatic brain injury (TBI) and combat stress injuries including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Fund works with private industry and government to develop public awareness and excellence in research, education, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, support and resources for the injured and their families as they reintegrate to duty or civilian life.

"Bob and Lee Woodruff are exceptional people doing exceptional work for those in dire need," says Caroline Hirsch, a founding partner of the festival. "We are thrilled that the NYCF is part of this extraordinary event and hope that the evening can help draw necessary awareness and funding so those injured in the war receive the medical attention they deserve."

NBC’s Conan O’Brien will host the benefit at Town Hall at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, November 7. The evening will feature intimate performances by Lewis Black, Bruce Springsteen and Robin Williams.

The media and entertainment industry is coming together in full force to help this important cause. The chairs for the evening are Peter and Megan Chernin, Bob Iger and Willow Bay, Les Moonves and Julie Chen, Richard D. and Laura Parsons, Jeff and Caryn Zucker.

The Honorary Committee for this unprecedented event to support our injured service members is led by President and Mrs. George W. Bush, President George H.W. Bush and President William J. Clinton.

Also joining the Honorary Committee are Senator Bob Dole, Senator Elizabeth Dole, General John Abizaid, Senator Joseph Biden, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Congressman Bill and Beverly Young, Senator Tim Johnson, General Barry McCaffrey, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Senator Carl Levin, Vice Admiral Donald Arthur, Senator John Warner, Senator John and Elizabeth Edwards, Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, Senator Chuck Hagel, Senator Jim Webb, Senator John McCain, Congressman Steve Buyer, General Michael Hagee, Governor Mitt Romney, Judge William Sessions, Congressman Robert Filner, Congressman Duncan Hunter, Senator Robert Byrd, Congressman Walter Jones, Congressman Jerry Lewis, Senator Pat Roberts, Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Congressman Ike Skelton and others.

The growing Benefit Committee list includes Christiane Amanpour, Jeff Bewkes, Wolf Blitzer, Tom Brokaw, Tina Brown, Steve Capus, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Kimberly Dozier, James Gandolfini, Charlie Gibson, Kayce Jennings, Jon Klein, Cindi Leive, Sean McManus, Janice Min, Robbie Myers, Martha Nelson, Mike Nichols, Dan Peres, Martha Raddatz, Kelly Ripa, Tim Russert, Diane Sawyer, Lynn Sherr, Claire Shipman, Leonard and Allison Stern, Greta Van Sustern, Barbara Walters, Jim Walton, Harvey Weinstein, David Westin, Brian and Jane Williams and Fareed Zakaria to name a few. In addition, GFI Group Inc. is a prime sponsor of the event.

For ticket information on the "Stand Up for Heroes: A Benefit for the Bob Woodruff Family Fund" event, please e-mail benefit@freud.com.

For more information about the BWFF, please visit Bob Woodruff Family Fund.

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