Jimmy V Week Sweeps College Basketball

Sports News - December 3rd, 2009 - Written by John

In 1993, ESPN briefly announced during it's annual award show, the ESPYs, that it would be giving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award to N.C. State head College Basketball coach Jim Valvano for his public grace while battling cancer. He hobbled to the podium, clearly weathered by the fight, and delivered the most memorable speech in sports this side of Lou Gehrig.

Ever since then, the media outlet and thousands of athletes and coaches have been honoring him by creating and promoting the Jimmy V Foundation, a non-profit organization which channels money to cancer research centers.

Valvano was a fluttering, energetic coach that led the Wolfpack to it's only National Championship in 1983, but was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1992. Within a year, he was already crumbling.

In his speech, Valvano said funding cancer research, " may not save my life, but it may save my children's lives. It may save someone you love." He then closed out saying, "don't give up, don't ever give up."

He died two months later.

His speech sparked a public frenzy turned the foundation from a regional operation to a premium charity group that is synonymous with college basketball. With the help of ESPN, the charity raised a record $1.1 million last year, providing donating fans with perks like sports experience not found anywhere else. Fans can participate in an auction to win prizes such as locker room passes, or comprehensive trips to sporting venues.

Part of it's "Jimmy V Week", Sportscenter recently aired a segment in which the University of Southern Cal football program welcomed cancer patient and Trojan fan, Jake Olsen, onto it's practice field and locker room.

Over the course of seven days, the foundation goes national, providing fans with exceptional experiences while asking for contributions the help continue it's efforts. Unlike many non-profit groups, 100-percent of donations that are made go directly to cancer research centers.

Specials and events have already been streaming non-stop on ESPN during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which pairs a team in one conference with it's perceived equal from the other. Needing only six victories to claim the title, the Big Ten won 6-5, getting upset wins from Wisconsin over Duke and Illinois over Clemson. It was the first time the Big Ten had ever won the title.

This coming Monday and Tuesday will start the Jimmy V Women's and Men's Basketball Classic, which was incepted in 1995, at Madison Square Garden. Florida will play Rutgers in the women's tournament. Butler plays Georgetown and Indiana faces Pittsburgh in the men's.

There are also dozens of other events throughout the week like the Atlanta Celebrity Golf Tournament, and the Dick Vitale Gala, where basketball's brightest personalities have also become involved over the years.

"Cancer is a dreaded disease," Vitale said in an interview on ESPN.com. "I don't care if you are rich or poor; you're black, your white; you're Christian, you're Jewish; it will bring you to your knees. And the only way to stop it is by getting dollars into the hands of the right people. And that's what Jim Valvano is about."

Cancer research has effected the entire college basketball landscape, including recently when BYU head coach Dave Rose found out last Friday that he was clear of pancreatic cancer, a disease that only five in a million overcome.

Rose will be on ESPN chat on Thursday just after 1 p.m. to talk about his story, and later in the week, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim will also be on, followed by Texas Motor Speedway Eddie Gossage and College of Charleston head coach Bobby Cremins.

Visit jimmyv.org to make a Jimmy V Foundation Donation, or simply to share your story.