Dick Vitale is passionate about college basketball as anyone who has ever heard him analyze a game certainly knows.
However, he’s even more passionate about the V Foundation for Cancer Research founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, the legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator who died from cancer. Since 1993, the foundation has raised more than $100 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide.
Vitale does his part with his annual Dick Vitale Gala that has netted more than $1 million each of the last five years for the V Foundation. This year’s event will be this Friday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sarasota, Fla., and two pediatric cancer research grants will be awarded in the names of three children: Lucy Webber, Johnny Teis and Adrian Littlejohn, who recently lost their lives to cancer.
Once again he’s assembled an all-star staff of college basketball coaches and sports personalities to attend the fund-raising event. That includes coaches John Calipari of Kentucky and Rick Pitino of Louisville, who have both pledged $50,000 to the event.
“We are going to have an incredible Kentucky contingent at the gala,” said Vitale. “But the key is to get to $1 million in donations again, we need help and lots of donations from those not at the gala for this great cause.”
Vitale says he appreciates Calipari’s support not only of his gala, but the way he’s involved in many charitable endeavors.
“John has always been very generous, very giving. But I think he’s like me and gets a bigger thrill from this than the people who receive the money. When you give back for a cause like this, there is no greater thrill and John realizes that and does all he can to help me and many, many other causes.
“I just want to do all I can for kids with leukemia and cancer. I am obsessed. I need all my friends to help, not just the all-star lineup we have coming to Sarasota so we can continue to net $1 million in donations. We have three former Heisman Trophy winners, all the Final Four coaches, Erin Andrews and many, many more stars coming. Larry Brown is going to introduce John. Jim Calhoun will be introduced by Roy Williams. Sarasota will be the sports capital of the world on this night because folks like John Calipari are willing to put others first.”
Vitale was especially emotional when I talked to him about this event. He had just given the eulogy for 15-month-old Adrian Littlejohn, who lost his life to cancer on May 1. A $250,000 grant will be awarded to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., to honor Adrian Littlejohn. A $500,000 grant will go to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and will be named in memory of Lucy Weber and Johnny Teis, who died at ages 18 months and age 8.
“Adrian’s father played at Mississippi State and is now a football assistant coach around here,” Vitale said. “It was tough to see the pain these parents were in after going through this battle with cancer and losing a loved one. It just hit him out of the blue. To keep his memory alive, we are giving $250,000 to the hospital where he was a patient. That’s the least we could do.
“I hope this research will eventually help other kids faced with this dreaded disease. The families of these three special youngsters we are remembering were overwhelmed when we let them know the V Foundation had decided to name pediatric research grants in their memory as a way to help other kids battling cancer.”
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For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, call 1-800-4JimmyV or go http:—www.jimmyv.org.
V Foundation facts
The V Foundation for Cancer Research:
n Was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary NC State basketball coach and ESPN commentator.
n Awards 100 percent of all direct donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs.
n Pays all operating expenses with the investment income from the Endowment Fund.
n Funds research for all types of cancers
n Awards grants through a competitive process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of some of the nation’s top doctors and scientists.
n Has awarded grants to 100+ institutions in 38 states and the District of Columbia.
