The New York Comedy Festival and the Bob Woodruff Foundation hosted their ninth annual Stand Up for Heroes event on November 10th at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Bob Woodruff foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring injured service members and their families are thriving long after they return from home. Bob Woodruff who was personally affected by war while deployed has made it his life’s work to create innovative programs and hold other veteran foundations accountable for the work they do. Woodruff’s partnership with Caroline Hirsch and the New York Comedy Festival has been prosperous in raising over $27 million to date with the “Stand Up for Heroes” event. The high level of support the Bob Woodruff foundation is able to provide for veterans and their families has been a great stride in welcoming heroes home. Stand Up for Heroes featured performances by John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Ray Romano, Jon Stewart, and Bruce Springsteen.
Read our red carpet interviews below!
-Ray Romano
How did you get involved with Bob Woodruff foundation?
They asked me to perform a couple times and I never could because I was out west doing some things. This is New York. This is my hometown and I appreciate everything the veterans do and so I decided that I have to do this.
Are you excited about any of the performances other than yours?
All of them. All of the comedians who I know and of course Bruce who I don’t know personally. I’m going to be excited to stick around and get funky when Bruce gets on and this is me getting funky right here (does little dance.)
How does the American community help welcome the veterans when they get home?
We help by acknowledging foundations like this and realizing that it doesn’t just stop when they get home. We just take for granted what they do for us and we don’t realize how hard it is when it’s over for them. And hopefully events like this bring attention to that. We just have to be aware that a lot of these people’s lives have changed and we have to help them re-acclimate into real life.
-Caroline Hirsch
How did you get involved with the Bob Woodruff foundation?
I saw a documentary about Bob on TV and how he was injured and at the end there was a tag line “Join the Bob Woodruff Foundation to help us raise funds for the soldiers” so we came up with Stand Up for Heroes. We created this and we made it and now this is our 9th year.
Is there any advice you can give to the American communities about how to help heroes when they come home?
I think that you can give to your charity. You could give to the Bob Woodruff foundation. You don’t have to give a lot of money. If everyone gave $25, that would help. You don’t have to give hundreds and hundreds of dollars just give what you can.
What does the Bob Woodruff foundation mean to you?
This is a way for me to give back to the injured vets because they protect me and they protect the country.
Are you excited about any of the performances tonight?
I love John Stewart. I love John and we haven’t seen Ray Romano in a while so I am excited to see him. And Seth Meyers. And then Bruce Springsteen and Chris Brody will open the show.
-John Oliver
How did you get involved with the Bob Woodruff foundation?
I met him when he was a guest on The Daily Show and he knew about my wife, who was in the service, so we talked about that and it’s been a pleasure to be involved ever since.
How can the American communities help heroes coming home?
Well, I think just acknowledge what they’ve done. I think there is way too much of a disconnect between America and its military. So the very least we can do is just acknowledge that they are back in the community and that they have been through something. You don’t just have to say thank you and that’s it. Really it’s about finding ways to give them a second career. Processing the people once they’re out. The military does a bad job, as does the US government at giving veterans, who have some of the highest skill sets you can imagine, a second chance; opportunities to serve again. All they want to do is serve. They wanted to serve while they were in and they still want to serve while they’re out. So the most important thing is to give them opportunities to serve.
-Trinity Skinner
