Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Valvano's Legacy Burns in Vitale's Soul
I turn on ESPN to watch some hoops and I get something stirring, something special. Dick Vitale gives one of the most heartfelt, inspiring speeches I've heard in a long time, imploring the audience at Madison Square Garden to give to the Jimmy V Foundation to fund cancer research. Vitale knows how to work a crowd - he is a pro speaker - but this is highly personal for him and it shows. Before the game, ESPN replayed Valvano's unforgettable acceptance of the Arthur Ashe award in 1993 (Vitale helped him off the stage)...and now Vitale reminds us that Valvano wanted the advances in research to help "my children" and their children someday.
He knew his time was short and he said that cancer could take his body but not his heart, his soul, his mind.
Ironically Valvano's daughter has just undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with a genetically linked form of breast cancer. Vitale faced the camera point blank and pleaded with Jamie, echoing her father's motto.
"Jamie, never give up, don't ever give up" said Vitale. "We all love you."
Those of conscience headed to the concession stand stood frozen in his tracks.
In any event, this has been a tough couple of years for this correspondent, but I think I can spare a bit of change. Jimmy V was the real deal, at least according to my old friend from Bryn Mawr and Brown pediatrics, Kevin McGibney, who was a physics instructor and track coach at Iona and shared an office with Valvano. McGibney, a chief pediatric resident at Hasbro Children's in Providence, loved to tell amusing stories about life with primordial Valvano. And Kevin himself passed away from brain cancer 5-6 years ago.
So, anyone who reads this, spare what you can at www.jimmyv.org. And here's to Jimmy V and my buddy Kevin.
He knew his time was short and he said that cancer could take his body but not his heart, his soul, his mind.
Ironically Valvano's daughter has just undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with a genetically linked form of breast cancer. Vitale faced the camera point blank and pleaded with Jamie, echoing her father's motto.
"Jamie, never give up, don't ever give up" said Vitale. "We all love you."
Those of conscience headed to the concession stand stood frozen in his tracks.
In any event, this has been a tough couple of years for this correspondent, but I think I can spare a bit of change. Jimmy V was the real deal, at least according to my old friend from Bryn Mawr and Brown pediatrics, Kevin McGibney, who was a physics instructor and track coach at Iona and shared an office with Valvano. McGibney, a chief pediatric resident at Hasbro Children's in Providence, loved to tell amusing stories about life with primordial Valvano. And Kevin himself passed away from brain cancer 5-6 years ago.
So, anyone who reads this, spare what you can at www.jimmyv.org. And here's to Jimmy V and my buddy Kevin.
