10 Years Later: Our Dad’s Impact
By: Taelor and Sydni Scott
In 2014, legendary ESPN personality Stuart Scott was awarded the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance while in his own battle with cancer. 10 years later, his daughters reminisce on those moments, and honor his legacy.
We still wear our father’s leather jackets and old football jerseys. We still visit our after-school hot chocolate spot where we would sit side-by-side doing homework while he pinched bites off our snack, reminding us that he was just “checking to make sure it wasn’t poisoned” not even glancing up from his computer. He’d drop us off at soccer practice or dance class and head into work to turn those spirited keyboard strokes into the magic we could all hear and watch and almost taste. Making the most of every minute with us – even when that time belonged to his job – was normal for him. He was a dedicated broadcaster but still never took his time with us for granted. Watching his acceptance speech for the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPYS ten years later and hearing him boast that … “Being a dad was the best thing he ever did and best thing he would ever do”, is still a wonderful reminder of his love.
It’s been 9 years since we held our dad’s hand, hugged his neck, and heard him sing or rap or croon. As we approach the 10-year mark, we feel the full weight of a decade without him, we also have the gifts our dad left us. These gifts were not only the examples of determination and persisting joy he lived by every day – especially in his fight against the disease that would take his life – but also many years of creating a community within the V Foundation. For even before he would be a direct beneficiary of their research and clinical trials, he was a benefactor of the community and the spirit that the foundation has so carefully curated. It was important to him to bring us into the V Foundation Family – teaching us the value of working together for a common goal.
To put a bow on it, the last decade has been both lonely and a hope-giving, community-forging endeavor, as our dad’s legacy of resilience, hope, and relentless dedication has continued to make a difference. Through your generosity, we have been able to advance cancer research, champion health equity and support those still battling cancer together through the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund. This year during ESPY week, funds raised from now until July 11 for the V Foundation will directly benefit our dad’s fund at the V Foundation. By donating to the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund now, your donations will be matched up to $75K. So please give!
While there are so many injustices in the world around us, having the V Foundation and its many advocates, members, and architects has allowed us to focus on and channel the vision our father imparted to us into work that will spur this world into one full of life, health, and the unity that sports bring us.
We can’t do this “don’t ever give up” thing all by ourselves and thankfully with your generosity and support, we don’t have to.
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