Ninth Annual Jimmy V Week Raises Record $3.2 Million for Cancer Research

AnnouncementsBasketballCollege Basketball - Men'sCollege Basketball - Women'sCorporate Citizenship

Ninth Annual Jimmy V Week Raises Record $3.2 Million for Cancer Research

Also Read: ESPN Front Row Story on Jimmy V Week

Nine-year total reaches $13.7 million mark

ESPN’s 2015 Jimmy V Week for Cancer Research raised a record-setting $3.2 million for The V Foundation for Cancer Research – a million more than the 2014 previous fundraising record of $2.2 million. In nine years, Jimmy V Week has raised $13.7 million for cancer research.

Jimmy V Week ran from Dec. 2-8, 2015 and introduced a new awareness campaign Your Fight is Our Fight – the emotionally-charged vignettes are from the view of real cancer patients and their support system showing the raw emotion that comes from a cancer diagnosis, going through radiation/chemo and finally being in remission.

“This campaign was created to tell the powerful stories of the brave cancer fighters, survivors and supporters,” said Kevin Martinez, ESPN vice president of Corporate Citizenship. “It’s these stories that inspire us to keep fighting. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who has joined us in this fight.”

The week opened with the annual simulcast of Jim Valvano’s iconic 1993 ESPYS speech across ESPN domestic networks, plus airing throughout the week were excerpts from ESPN SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott’s 2014 ESPYS speech, public service announcements and special content and messaging to drive donations.

The campaign included the annual Jimmy V Women’s and Men’s Basketball Classics Presented by Corona – featuring three-time defending national champion UConn hosting No. 3 Notre Dame on December 5, as well as four top college basketball programs in the men’s event on December 8 – then-No. 20 West Virginia vs. then-No. 10 Virginia and then-No. 2 Maryland vs. UConn.

On top of the generosity of individual donors, more than $1.2 million was presented at the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic from Corona, Hooters, the Champions League and New York Road Runners with Team V, which helped push the total to over $3 million.

“ESPN, sponsors and fans created another extraordinary Jimmy V Week,” said Susan Braun, CEO of The V Foundation. “As this support grows, through ESPN’s leadership and generosity, our ability to fight cancer escalates. Together, we will beat it!”

-30-

Rachel Margolis Siegal

A part of the Internal Communications team at ESPN, I began with the network in 2010 as part of the College Sports PR team. Always an avid sports fan and not an athlete – I grew up a huge fan of the Hartford Whalers, while also watching my brother compete at different levels. I became the manager of several high school sports teams and continued that hobby into college. While at Quinnipiac, I worked in the Sports Information Department, which led me to a summer internship at the New Haven Ravens, a AA baseball team, and an eventual job with the Athletic Communications Department at the University of Connecticut. After my five-year stint at Connecticut, I spent six years as Director of Communications at the BIG EAST Conference in Providence, R.I. before joining ESPN.
Back to top button