Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast aka, the most followed creator on YouTube, stays busy churning out a genre of content that lands to a rabid fan base. Recent videos and view counts include “7 Days Stranded in the Arctic” (102 million), “I Stranded 100 People in the Wilderness For $250,000” (142 million), “Last to Leave Grocery Store Wins $250,000” (172 million), and “Survive 30 Days Stranded With Your Ex, Win” $250,000 (132 million).
Saturday morning, MrBeast departed from his usual stream to drop a new piece of content with a philanthropic focus and featuring a surprise appearance from superstar LeBron James. The new video, “I Helped 100 Kids Fight Cancer,” debuted Saturday and finds MrBeast doing just that by turning his attention to children and young adults who are or have been fighting the disease as a way to brighten their days and grant wishes while raising funds and awareness for scientific research.
The campaign marks a collaboration between Donaldson’s charitable organization Beast Philanthropy, Stand Up to Cancer, biopharmaceutical firm Amgen and childhood cancer research organization St. Baldrick’s Foundation. He also gets an assist from the NBA great’s LeBron James Family Foundation. Viewers are encouraged to support an upcoming SU2C Pediatric Cancer Dream Team, which unites top scientists and researchers from different institutions and disciplines to “speed up the pace at which new treatments get to patients who need them.”
“Every year, more than 105,000 kids around the world lose their lives to cancer, and we’re working to change that,” said MrBeast. “Behind every life saved is an army of doctors, researchers, volunteers and organizations — like Stand Up To Cancer, which raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers, and St. Baldrick’s, where heroes and volunteers shave their heads in solidarity with kids fighting cancer — as well as companies like Amgen, who are developing the next generation of cancer treatments. Together, every step brings us a little closer to a world without cancer.”
As for the clip, it features James teaming up with MrBeast to surprise six local St. Baldrick’s kids and other pediatric cancer survivors at the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I PROMISE School in Akron, Ohio. Together, they shared a court and got to shoot some hoops with James, who also took part in a head-to-head shoot-out with MrBeast. James even offered up the keys to his foundation’s development called House Three Thirty, which is described as a destination “to bring dreams to life” through dining, retail, arts, entertainment and mentorship offerings. MrBeast ducked in there for activities followed by a tour of the LeBron James museum and a dinner at Buckets.
“It means a lot to me and my foundation to be a part of uplifting these amazing kids and giving them a day to just have fun,” said James. “It was an honor to share the court with them, and even better to share our space and create incredible memories alongside their families. We just wanted them to know they are real life superheroes.”
Other highlights of “I Helped 100 Kids Fight Cancer” include MrBeast teaming with Doctor Mike to mount a blood drive in his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, with a goal of saving 1,000 lives and stopping by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where he met kids as well as Dr. Alan S. Wayne, with whom he discussed the need for more cancer research and the importance of giving hope to kids in the fight.
“Most people don’t realize cancer is the number one disease killer of kids in the U.S. Each and every child deserves a chance to grow up, and the research we’ll fund through this campaign can help make that happen,” said Katie Couric, SU2C Co-founder and media entrepreneur. “I’m SO impressed that MrBeast is using this enormous reach, which rivals major live television events, to ask people all over the world to do something that will benefit children and families whose lives have been upended by this terrible disease.”
Added MrBeast: “No kid should have to deal with cancer and hopefully, by supporting the SU2C Pediatric Cancer Dream Team, we can help stop it.” More information on the campaign and how to support it can be found here.
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