Stand Up To Cancer

Taryn Southern and Jaime King recently launched a new project featuring a series of videos designed to raise awareness of breast cancer self-examination, especially in young women. "I've always been active with breast cancer charities," Southern explained in a chat with SU2C. "My aunt, grandmother and godmother have all had breast cancer, and my aunt passed away in 2003, so I've always been interested in raising awareness."

The project will feature a series of viral videos released over the course of six months, the first of which can be seen online here. "We don't often think about our bodies, noticing the little things that happen as our bodies change and evolve," Southern said. "It's not like we go around feeling our boobs all the time. So this campaign is all about feeling your boobs. Just feel 'em. Catch any changes early so you can get to the doctor, find out what is going on, and get the appropriate treatment."

One of the project's goals is to encourage younger women, who might not necessarily think of themselves as at risk for breast cancer, to be vigilant about checking for signs of the disease. "Young women often think they couldn't possibly get this disease, and that's just not true," Southern said. "We're trying to get people's attention, so the campaign is a little edgy. It's a little out there. And it's designed to be something that can be passed around on the web."

The first video, released yesterday, features King, Minka Kelly, Emily Deschanel, Alyson Hannigan and Katherine McPhee; it was directed by Steve Carr. The project is sponsored by Her Energy. "We're so grateful to everyone who's helped out," Southern said. "It's an awful disease, but if we can bring some humor to the process of self-examination, hopefully people will be more aware."

For anyone wishing to make a donation, Taryn and Jaime have designated Stand Up To Cancer as their preferred charity. To lend your support to accelerated cancer research, click here.

To learn more about the project, visit Taryn and Jaime's website.