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ESPN’s Dick Vitale Shares Exciting $105 Million Update on Sunday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated May 25, 2025 2:40 PM ET

On Sunday, ESPN college basketball legend Dick Vitale took to X to report a major fundraising milestone for pediatric cancer research.

Vitale announced that, thanks to the tireless work of his gala committee, emcee Kevin Negandhi, PR partner JK Sports and countless donors, this year’s Dick Vitale Gala pushed the cumulative total raised for The V Foundation’s Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund to an impressive $105.4 million.

The 20th Annual Dick Vitale Gala, held just weeks earlier on May 2 at The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida, brought together sports stars, philanthropists and families impacted by childhood cancer.

In that sold-out event, organizers celebrated $12.5 million raised in a single night.

So lucky that @espn’s @KevinNegandhi serves as gala emcee as he has done a fantastic job.Also @jksports has been fab with his PR- a key player in helping us raise $105.4 MILLION for pediatric cancer research has been my wife Lorraine . @TheVFoundation @MKenealyEvents @ESPNPR pic.twitter.com/UqJL0lwZg3
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) May 25, 2025

Vitale was involved in raising funds to fight pediatric cancer long before he face his own cancer battles. Since August 2021, he has been treated for melanoma, followed shortly by non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and surgeries to remove pre-cancerous lesions on his vocal cords and laryngeal cancer.

Most recently, he underwent surgery for lymph node cancer in June 2024 and was declared cancer-free in December 2024.

"Dickie V" first made his mark as a high school and collegiate coach.

He accumulated a 131-47 record at East Rutherford High School, winning two New Jersey state championships, and later led the University of Detroit to a 78-30 mark, earning a school-record 21-game win streak and an NCAA Tournament berth in 1977.

After serving as head coach of the NBA's Detroit Pistons from 1978-80, Vitale joined ESPN at its inception in 1979, calling the network’s first NCAA basketball game between DePaul and Wisconsin on Dec. 5, 1979.

He has since called well over 1,000 college games and become a household name with his trademark catchphrases like "diaper dandy" and “This is awesome, baby!”

In 2008, Vitale was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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