The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a top-rated cancer research charity, is excited to announce the fifth annual Virginia Vine netted nearly $500,000 to help achieve Victory Over Cancer®. The sold-out gala was held at Stone Tower Winery on April 27 and was hosted by Joe Theismann, former quarterback of the Super Bowl XVII Champion Washington Redskins, with honored guest and featured speaker Paul Begala, CNN Commentator and Professor at Georgetown University. The funds raised will support Virginia’s world-class cancer research institutions, as well as groundbreaking research projects across the country.
“Virginia Vine is the premier event in beautiful Loudoun County,” said Theismann. “The momentum grows each year, as we work toward Victory Over Cancer®. It was fantastic to have so many come out in support of the nation’s best cancer research, and listening to Paul made for a truly special evening. I’m already looking forward to 2020!”
Throughout the evening, Virginia Vine showcased outstanding wine, culinary delights and one-of-a-kind auction items. A cocktail reception was followed by a seated dinner with Stone Tower Winery wine parings. Theismann, Susan Braun, CEO of the V Foundation, and George Bodenheimer, V Foundation Board Member and former President of ESPN, welcomed supporters. Begala emphasized how cancer does not discriminate and the importance of funding to help save lives, such as his father’s. The night continued with a live auction, which boasted amazing items and lively bidding, including a fund-a-need for prostate cancer. Auction items included: a dinner party with Mary Matalin & James Carville; the ultimate UVA basketball experience with a Coach Tony Bennett meet and greet; and a day on the field with the Baltimore Ravens.
“You could not have asked for a better weekend than Virginia Vine,” said Begala. “From the wine to the views to the friendships and the cause – it was a weekend straight out of a storybook. Stopping cancer is so important to me. Coming together as a community to celebrate breakthroughs in research and raise money to fund even more was incredible.”
The weekend also included a cancer research symposium at the Salamander Resort & Spa. Joseph Moore, M.D., Medical Director of the Duke Raleigh Cancer Center and Professor of Hematology and Oncology at Duke Cancer Center, hosted the symposium to reinforce the urgency and momentum behind research today. Each of the Virginia Vine mission partners – Inova Schar Cancer Institute, University of Virginia Health System Cancer Center and Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center – will receive a mission grant. The V Foundation will also fund competitive team science research in Virginia. Net proceeds over and above these grants will fund research projects nationwide. A scientist from each research center participated in the symposium, sharing an update on their important work.
“My wife, Jennifer, and I have enjoyed being a part of Virginia Vine from the beginning, and it has been fantastic to see the event grow,” said Charlie Britt, a Virginia Vine committee member. “The fact that Vine has raised over $1 million dollars for research is impressive, and the support of ACC legends Dereck Whittenburg and Ralph Sampson this year was special. I tell people all the time the V Foundation is BOTH a great cause and a great non-profit.”
