Double Your Donation, Double the Impact
This year, we commemorate the 10th anniversary of Stuart Scott’s unforgettable ESPYS speech. All donations up to $75,000 will be matched to benefit the V Foundation’s Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund.
To date, ESPN has helped the V Foundation raise more than $200 million for game-changing cancer research,
accounting for more than half of the $353 million the V has granted to date.
Watch Jim’s 1993 ESPYS Speech
Hear From Serena Williams
About the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund
In 2014, famed ESPN broadcaster Stuart Scott was awarded the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS Awards Show while in his own battle with cancer. Stuart inspired all of us with his exceptional speech, and his lasting legacy lives on through the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation.
Stuart was a champion for cancer research and was especially driven to improve outcomes for minorities disproportionately affected by the disease. Specifically, grants awarded through the Stuart Scott Fund are directed to research focused on racial disparities in cancer outcomes as well as general cancer research lead by scientists from underrepresented groups.
We are thrilled that all proceeds from the 2024 ESPYS will be directed to the Stuart Scott Fund, continuing our commitment to health equity and battling cancer disparities. Each donation will be matched, up to $75,000, thanks to an anonymous donor, doubling the impact!
With ESPN’s help, the V Foundation has awarded nearly $16 million in grants from the fund since 2015 (54 grants all-time).
Researchers funded by the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund, over their careers, have received 313 grants and over $2.1 billion in funding.
Our grantees from this fund, over their entire careers, have generated over 313 patents and have been connected to over 100 clinical trials.
Dolphins Cancer Challenge
The V Foundation for Cancer Research is thrilled to extend its partnership with Dolphins Cancer Challenge, a program that is entering its 15th year and is the NFL’s largest fundraising event. Together, the V Foundation, Dolphins Cancer Challenge and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami have committed to a collective $30 million investment over 10 years, dedicated to game-changing cancer research through the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund.
This fund addresses cancer health disparities within diverse communities as well as funding general cancer research led by scientists from underrepresented groups. Since its inception, researchers have generated over 1,300 patents and been connected to over 100 clinical trials.
This partnership supports the nation’s top scientists, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and improving health equity across all communities of color. It will fuel the game-changing creativity of scientists and the bold ideas they have as they work on targeted therapies and cancer treatments of the future FOR ALL.
Legendary coach Dawn Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance on the heels of her epic 38-0 perfect season and NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship title. The award not only recognizes her resilience on the court and ongoing support for women’s sports and equality in the sports world, but also for her leadership in the fight against cancer. In the last several years, Staley has been profoundly impacted by cancer, with both her sister, Tracy Underwood, and her friend and former assistant coach, Nikki McCray-Penson, being diagnosed. Their battles motivated Staley to take action and become a prominent advocate for cancer research.
She partnered with an organization to mobilize potential donors – especially those in the Black community – to sign up on a bone-marrow registry; she advocated for patient care, research and resources; she honored her friend while South Carolina participated in the Women’s Jimmy V Classic; and she visited and supported those undergoing treatment. In her 24-year coaching career, Staley has tirelessly stood up for women in sports, speaking out regularly to ensure gender equality and diversity in sports, particularly basketball. She has demonstrated incredible leadership and catapulted South Carolina into the national spotlight, leading the team to five SEC regular season championships, seven Sweet Sixteens, four Final Fours and three NCAA championships.
Past recipients of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance include Jim Kelly (2018), Rob Mendez (2019), Taquarius Wair (2020), Chris Nikic (2021), Dick Vitale (2022) and Liam Hendriks (2023).
V Researchers at Work
Verline Justilien, Ph.D., 2021 V Scholar from Mayo Clinic in Florida
Funded by Bristol Myers Squibb through the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund
Verline Justilien, Ph.D., is digging deeper into cancer stem cell survival in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).
Cancer stem cells are good at making new cancer cells grow back, even after treatment. To decipher the inner workings of these cancer stem cells, Dr. Verline Justilien’s research group at Mayo Clinic explored the mechanisms that support advanced stage, or malignant, NSCLC to better understand how cancer stem cells contribute to cancer growth to ultimately improve therapeutic strategies for targeting these tumors.
They discovered a protein that is highly expressed in these NSCLC cancer stem cells and is required for cancer stem cell survival. Therefore, this innovative study has paved a path demonstrating that targeted therapies against this protein offer a potential therapeutic strategy for NSCLC by targeting and killing these cancer stem cells.
Inspirations
Elevating Their Dad’s Legacy
Stuart Scott’s daughters Taelor and Sydni Scott continue to expand their dad’s legacy in the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund by working with the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Stuart championed leveling the playing field, and supporting equitable cancer care for all, and the fund in his honor awards game-changing grants to do that.
10 years since their dad’s inspirational speech at the 2014 ESPYS, Taelor and Sydni share about the speech.
2024 ESPYS Celebrity Golf Classic Hosted by Rob Riggle at Sherman Oaks Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA.
On Monday, July 8th, players will take the course to participate in an afternoon of golf with athletes, comedians, and celebrities followed by an awards ceremony. Proceeds from the event will benefit the V Foundation. Some of the celebrities scheduled to attend are Rob Riggle (host), Sugar Ray Leonard, Ashlyn Harris, Michael Pena, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and Tim Meadows.
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance 2024
Over the last three decades, the V Foundation has maintained a strong presence at the ESPYS. Annually since 2007, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance has been presented to a deserving member of the sports community who has overcome great obstacles. This year’s honoree will be recognized at the ESPY Awards ceremony on Thursday, July 11, at 8 PM ET on ABC.
Additional ESPYS Programming (all times listed are ET)
- SportsCenter Special: Don’t Ever Give Up on ESPN2 – July 5 at 9 pm; July 6 at 6 am; 3 pm (on ESPN) and 4 pm; July 7 at 12 am and 1 pm; July 8 at 5 am and 8 pm; July 9 at 5 am; July 10 at 12 am
- SportsCenter Feature: The Speech on ESPN2 – July 5 at 1 am; July 6 at 12 am; July 7 at 5 am and 5 pm; July 8 at 11 pm; July 9 at 1 am; July 10 at 6 am
- ESPN Films Presents: Dickie V on ESPN2 – July 5 at 10 pm; July 10 at 10 pm
- ESPYS Nomination Special – Saturday, June 29 at 12 pm on ESPN
- ESPYS Preview Show – Tuesday, July 9 at 7 or 9 pm on ESPN
- ESPYS Red Carpet Show – Thursday, July 11 from 7-8pm on ESPN’s digital platform or YouTube
- ESPY Awards – Thursday, July 11, 8-11 pm on ABC
Sports Humanitarian Awards
The 2024 Sports Humanitarian Awards, benefiting the V Foundation, celebrate athletes who use their power for good. See this year’s nominees and finalists.
