It has been 23 years since Jim Valvano led NC State to the most unlikely NCAA Championship win in tournament history and it's been 13 years since Jim Valvano lost his life to cancer. Jim's stature as a Division I head basketball coach and later, as an analyst for ESPN and ABC, put him in the forefront of the college basketball world. His speech at the 1993 ESPY Awards made him a vanguard in the fight against cancer.The deep sense of purpose by which he lived his life continues to inspire others to sustain his quest. From Cinderella basketball coach to crusader for cancer research, the spirit of Jim Valvano will never give up until triumphant.
ESPN and the late Jim Valvano established The V Foundation for Cancer Research in 1993. Valvano, the legendary NC State basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster, won the hearts of sports fans across the country when his underdog NC State Wolfpack captured the NCAA Basketball Championship in an upset win in 1983.
Ten years later, he inspired millions more with his memorable speech at the inaugural ESPY Awards. A gravely ill Valvano entertained, amused and captured the imagination of a world- wide audience. He announced the creation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research and proclaimed "Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up!"® as the motto in the fight against the disease that ultimately claimed him at the age of 47 after a brief and very public 10-month battle.
Research to improve quality of life, extend remission and bring undiminished hope to the lives of cancer survivors. We must continue to fund essential research that will ultimately identify the causes and develop the cures to eliminate this disease.
