Jimmy V Week; December 3-December 9th “Don’t Ever Give Up!”

For those of you who have been reading this site for a while, you know about my involvement with the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Tonight signals the beginning of a very important week for those in the V Foundation and at ESPN. From 7pm on Wednesday, December 3rd until Tuesday, December 9th there will be a number of special events all over the country and all over the ESPN family of networks in these next seven days. Below is a press release that was emailed to me giving the details of the times and venues/channels of this very special week.

We all know someone, or multiple people who have either been stricken or have passed away from this dreaded disease, and to find a cure would be one of the great accomplishments of mankind.  As I have stated before, if you are able to give to the V Foundation, that would be incredibly appreciated, and you can donate here or you can call 1-800-4-JIMMYV. Any amount is appreciated, and no donation is too small. Heck, people have emailed me and said they gave $10. However, we all know that times are tough all over and if you are truly unable, it is more than understood. Even if you are unable to give, please take a look at this schedule and watch as much of the festivities as you are able to help to remember the life of a great man who had the respect of everyone that he met. If nothing else, make sure you catch the reairing of Mr. Valvano’s ESPY speech which got this whole foundation started. In the most memorable part of his speech Jimmy V invited all of us to do three things every day; Think, laugh, and cry. If that speech doesn’t make you do all three things than you need to have your head examined. It is one of the more powerful and entertaining speeches I have ever heard, and it is the reason that I wanted to be involved with this organization, even if it is on a small level. So, join with the V Foundation and ESPN and celebrate the life of Jim Valvano, and if you can, help to beat this horrible disease.

Jimmy V Week Returns Dec. 3-9 Following More Than $700,000 Raised in Inaugural Event

Week-Long Initiative to Raise Awareness for Cancer Research Features Special Content Across Multiple ESPN Platforms Including Simultaneous Launch, Special Vignettes, ESPN.com Chats and Men’s and Women’s Jimmy V Basketball Classics

The second annual Jimmy V Week – a week-long initiative featuring special content across ESPN platforms and programs to drive awareness of and donations to The V Foundation for Cancer Research — will begin Wednesday, Dec. 3 and conclude Tuesday, Dec. 9. The inaugural Jimmy V Week raised more than $700,000 in net proceeds for cancer research.

Jimmy V Week will launch Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. ET with a special Jimmy V Week introduction featuring Jim Valvano’s now-famous ESPYs speech simultaneously aired on numerous ESPN media outlets at 7 p.m. ESPN2 will televise the Jimmy V’s Team: Don’t Give Up… Don’t Ever Give Up!® program featuring coverage of 2008 V Foundation fundraising events leading up to the launch at 6:30 p.m. The week will conclude with the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic (Georgia at Rutgers) on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8 and the Men’s Jimmy V Basketball Classic doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. (Davidson vs. West Virginia) and 9 p.m. (Texas vs. Villanova) on ESPN.

“Jimmy V Week is a shining example of sports and teamwork whose results go beyond any game. I’m proud of our employees and fans joining together for this great cause,” said George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports.

As part of a Team ESPN initiative, employees companywide have volunteered for several months to develop Jimmy V Week content and implement the strategy.

To highlight the initiative to drive donations and awareness for cancer research, Jimmy V Week content will be incorporated into studio programs and event telecasts, including SportsCenter, college basketball (men’s and women’s), football, soccer and hockey, NBA, PBA and more. The week will also include content on ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic and ESPN Mobile; special vignettes; and specific Jimmy V Week on-air graphics. Highlights include:
• A special open aired simultaneously across multiple entities;
• Special elements during game and studio programming across multiple ESPN entities;
• Multiple chat sessions on ESPN.com;
• Special guest interviews on ESPNEWS;
• Jim Valvano-themed marathon on ESPN Classic;
• ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning originating from the Medical City Hospital in Dallas;
• Referees donating a portion of their one-day salary to the V Foundation’s Blow the Whistle on Cancer Campaign®.

Simultaneous Launch Across Multiple Entities
A special Jimmy V Week open will be aired across 14 ESPN media outlets and the ABC SuperSign in Times Square Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. with an introduction by Mike Krzyzewski, followed by a complete presentation of Jim Valvano’s speech at the 1993 ESPYs. The approximate 13-minute long open will be offered in high definition and can be seen simultaneously on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPNEWS, ESPNEWS HD, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, ESPNU HD, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Deportes (subtitled in Spanish) and ESPN International outlets NASN and ESPN Middle East. The ABC SuperSign version will include English subtitles.

Elements During Event and Studio Programming
Jimmy V Week elements will appear during studio and event programming across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNU and ABC, including 21 men’s and women’s college basketball games, nine college football matchups, two NBA telecasts, three NCAA Women’s soccer contests and two college hockey games.

Content will also be aired during studio programming across ESPN entities all week, including testimonials and features on how cancer has touched the sports world and guest interviews.

Jimmy V Week will conclude Tuesday, Dec. 9, with the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic doubleheader from Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. (Davidson vs. West Virginia) and 9 p.m. Texas vs. Villanova), a night after the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic from Rutgers University at 7 p.m. (Georgia vs. Rutgers on ESPN2).

Jimmy V’s Team: Don’t Give Up… Don’t Ever Give Up!
Jimmy V’s Team: Don’t Give Up… Don’t Ever Give Up! will feature a compilation of footage from several ESPN supported V Foundation summer fundraising events, including ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic, the Don’t Give Up ESPYs V Foundation Radio Auction, The V Foundation Wine Celebration and The Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic which raised millions of dollars for cancer research and created new awareness for The V Foundation through the generous participation of athletes, celebrities, ESPN commentators and private donors.

In addition to the debut airing on ESPN2 (Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m.) and on ESPN Classic Monday, Dec. 8, at 1:30 p.m., the program will be available on ESPN.com throughout Jimmy V Week.

Special ESPN.com Content, Highlighted by Multiple Chats
ESPN.com will have special Jimmy V Week content highlighted by multiple chat sessions with celebrities and ESPN personalities throughout the week including N.C. State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow who is fighting cancer, Drexel women’s basketball player and 2008 V Foundation Comeback Player of the Year recipient Nicole Hester who returned to the court this year after a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and more (additional people and times TBD).

Additional content includes an article by Dick Vitale on the importance of The V Foundation and his memories of Jim Valvano; Jim Valvano’s 1993 ESPYS speech; feature stories on cancer survivors Paul Azinger, former NBA player Wayman Tisdale and Mark Barr, a swimmer with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; and links to a calendar of events and to www.jimmyv.org for more information on The V Foundation and how to donate. Details include:

ESPNEWS
Throughout the week, ESPNEWS will offer features on how cancer has touched the sports world and have interviews with guests who have a personal connection to cancer. Guests are to be determined.

ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning
ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning, weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., will be aired from the atrium of the Medical City Hospital in Dallas Tuesday, Dec. 2. The broadcast is a result of the opportunity for listeners to bid on the show originating from their home during the fourth annual “Don’t Give Up ESPYs V Foundation Auction” held July 6-16.

Never Give Up Marathon on ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic will offer two Never Give Up marathons featuring classic college basketball games with “never give up” themes leading up to the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic December 8 beginning at 1:30 p.m. and the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic December 9 beginning at 1 p.m. The schedule:

Date Time Show
Mon., Dec. 8 1:30 p.m. Jimmy V’s Team: Don’t Give Up… Don’t Ever Give Up!
2 p.m. 1966 Nat Championship: Kentucky vs. Texas Western
3 p.m. 1983 NCAA Tournament - West Regional: Pepperdine vs. NC State
5 p.m. 1985 National Championship: Villanova vs. Georgetown Tue., Dec. 9 1 p.m. 2006 NCAA Regional: George Mason vs. Connecticut
2 p.m. ESPN Classic Remembers: NC State Upsets Houston
2:30 p.m. 1983 National Championship: NC State vs. Houston

Jimmy V Week Message on BottomLine
The following Jimmy V Week message will be included across each of the ESPN networks’ BottomLines for live event programming: Jimmy V Week - Join ESPN and The V Foundation in the fight against cancer. Call (800) 4-JIMMY-V or visit jimmyv.org.

Blow the Whistle on Cancer!®
In coordination with Jimmy V Week, all NFL and NBA game officials are participating in The V Foundation’s Blow the Whistle on Cancer! ® campaign by donating a portion of their salary from the week’s games to The V Foundation. This will be the seventh year of participation for the NFL to Blow the Whistle on Cancer! ® and the NBA’s fourth season – both leagues have had 100% participation from their officials every year of the campaign.

All three game officials from the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic will also participate in Blow the Whistle on Cancer! ® and donate a portion of their game salary to The V Foundation.

The V Foundation
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $80 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The Foundation, which has received six consecutive 4-star ratings (highest possible) from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Review Committee. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit http://www.jimmyv.org