19th Annual Dick Vitale Gala Raises More Than $24 Million for Pediatric Cancer Research

It’s awesome, baby! The 19th annual Dick Vitale Gala raised $24.8 million for The V Foundation in support of pediatric cancer research Friday night.

  • The $24.8 million raised at this year’s Dick Vitale Gala was more than double the previous high achieved last year.
  • Over two decades, Vitale has raised nearly $93M for The V Foundation in support of pediatric cancer research.
  • Honorees at this year’s Dick Vitale Gala included:
    • Jeff Gordon
    • Rick Barnes
    • Derek Jeter
    • Jim Kelly
    • Nikki McCray-Penson
  • The event was emceed by ESPN’s Kevin Neghandi. ESPN Chairman and The V Foundation board member Jimmy Pitaro was also in attendance to introduce Dick Vitale.

  • The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach and ESPN commentator.
  • The V Foundation has funded over $353 million in game-changing cancer research grants nationwide through a competitive process strictly supervised by a world-class Scientific Advisory Committee.
  • Because the V Foundation has an endowment to cover administrative expenses, 100% of direct donations is awarded to cancer research and programs.
  • The V team is committed to accelerating Victory Over Cancer. To learn more, visit v.org.
Mike Mack
Mack is the Editorial Director for Marvel and ESPN content and he has covered comic cons, theme park events, video game showcases and other fun events. He is a fan of theme parks, sports, movies, Marvel Comics and is a self-proclaimed "nerd."