ESPN college basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale is known for many things, from his enthusiasm to his catchphrases. But something that’s particularly shone through with him is his desire to make an impact on cancer fundraising, especially for pediatric cancer research through his Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Vitale’s annual gala to benefit that fund brought in a record $12.4 million in its 18th edition last year, raising its lifetime total to $68.1 million. He’s also currently running a “Basketball Bash” raffle, giving a winner the chance to watch a Sweet Sixteen game with him at his house as well as attend this year’s gala. And he’s now launching a new book (with Scott Gleeson) to also boost the fund. That book focuses on his own recent battles with cancer (he was declared cancer-free in December) and how he relates to the kids his fund helps. Here’s more on the book, Until My Last Breath: Fighting Cancer with My Young Heroes, from a release:
Dick Vitale, Hall of Fame broadcaster and V Foundation for Cancer Research Board Member, announced the release of his latest book, Until My Last Breath: Fighting Cancer with My Young Heroes, available for purchase on Amazon beginning March 6. Autographed copies will also be available on dickvitale.com (http://dickvitale.com/) and books will be on sale nationwide at additional locations on March 19.
In the book, Vitale chronicles his own experiences with cancer and features the stories from his All-Courageous Team, the young cancer fighters who have inspired him at every step. Vitale is a three-time cancer survivor who has battled melanoma, lymphoma and vocal-cord cancer beginning in 2021.
As a long-time ESPN college basketball analyst who has achieved a record-breaking 45 seasons with the network, his cancer diagnosis left him feeling imprisoned in his own body, unable to speak for four months as he healed from his vocal-cord cancer treatments. Through this book, Vitale shares stories of his meetings with pediatric cancer survivors and highlights the lessons of hope and perseverance he learned from these remarkable children.
“Regardless of the health obstacles I faced in my own life over the last few years, my mission remains unchanged: continue fighting every single day for children with cancer,” said Vitale. “This book came about when I couldn’t speak, but knew I still needed to use my voice to support these kids. My All-Courageous Team has made me the proudest and most inspired coach on the planet. They are the true PTPers of this book.”
The health battles Vitale has fought and survived over the past few years are remarkable, perhaps even as remarkable as his overall story. And it’s perhaps even more remarkable to see him address that in a book not just covering his own story, but also the stories of the kids who have inspired him to fight and to raise money for pediatric cancer research. But it’s fitting, and perhaps not surprising. In 2021, even before his recent health challenges began, he told AA how raising money for pediatric cancer research (which has included both his galas and the donation of all his royalties from his various books) was “the story of my life now”:
“I’m totally obsessed with raising dollars for kids battling cancer. My life is now in its final chapter, and the people who have been so good to me over the years, fans, ESPN, all the people I’ve worked with over 42 years, that’s half of my life now with ESPN. I’ve had a lot of success and a lot of honors have come my way, Hall of Fames and broadcasting and basketball and various others. I just feel that at this state of my life, I want to give back. I love young kids, I love young people.
“For me, really when I got obsessed about [pediatric cancer research] was that we had a neighbor here, a beautiful young girl named Payton Wright, who lost her life to cancer. [Vitale wrote about her for ESPN.com.] That was about 15 years ago. This is going to be the 15th year of my gala, and one of my first galas was dedicated to Payton and raised a million dollars to battle the kind of cancer [medulloepithelioma, a rare type of brain cancer] that she lost her life to. When I went to the funeral, I was emotionally a wreck, watching the mom and dad. They were in their 30s with three beautiful kids, a great life, and all of a sudden, bam.
…”People wonder why I’m so obsessed, and I tell them ‘I’ve spoken at several funerals.’ I’ve spoken all over the country through the Washington Speakers Bureau for many years, corporate lineups, black-tie events, political banquets, you name it. The toughest speech ever, ever, is when a parent asks you to speak at a funeral for their child. …[Raising money to help sick kids] is not just a one-time thing, it’s the story of my life now.”
And several years later, and after his own most recent fights with a variety of forms of cancer, Vitale is still continuing that story. And he’s telling more stories than his own in the process, and raising funds to try and improve future stories. That’s cool to see.
Until My Last Breath can be preordered through Vitale’s website here, with Amazon preorders opening March 6 and the book on sale at additional locations nationwide on March 19.
