Edge Health Creates Hope Rocks, First Network Music Special Educating Kids About Cancer
If you reach out to kids with a strong, cancer awareness message, will they respond?
Producers of the super-successful Teen Choice Awards on FOX and Kids Choice Awards on Nickelodeon, Mike Burg of Edge Health and partner Bob Bain agree that the answer is a resounding “yes!”
Hope Rocks was the first network broadcast special to be dedicated to educate young viewers about cancer… to bring cancer awareness to a new generation through music. The show aired on FOX, home of American Idol and the number one network in teen viewership in September, 2005.
Hope Rocks! A Burg-Bain collaboration which became a benefit concert performed by the hottest young music acts in the industry, led by mega-star Rihanna, featured musical performers such as Chingy, Jesse McCartney, Aly & AJ, and JoJo among others.
From a live benefit concert Los Angeles to a two hour network concert special airing on FOX, it was all about the music and the message. The concert featured personal stories from young cancer survivors interwoven with young celebrities, whose lives have been touched by the disease, including Daisy Fuentes, Regina King, Amy Davidson, Brian Krause, Brad Sherwood, Misty May-Trainor and U.S. Swim Team members Aaron Piersol and Kaitlyn Sandeno.
"These young artists and athletes are following in the tradition of Bono and Bob Geldof," noted Mike Burg. "Top music stars have always been generous with their time and their talent, and these performers are no exception. Their generosity of spirit at such a young age is inspiring."
An important philanthropic aspect was added to the show through a partnership with the City of Hope, one of the world's leading research and treatment centers for cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases.
