My birthday fundraiser for cancer research

Last year I chose the V Foundation as my birthday fundraiser to benefit cancer research. Because 100 percent of donations go to cancer research I'm sticking with this foundation for my fundraiser this year. And as you know, I found out in mid-October that the second breast cancer has spread to my bones. So cancer research is especially close to my heart now.

If you watch sports you keep seeing the V Foundation logo and the announcers' talking about raising money for the foundation.

Jim Valvano was a basketball coach who started this foundation eight weeks before he died from cancer. He gave what became a famous speech at the ESPY Awards that evening in 1993 when he received the very first Arthur Ashe Courage Award. This is the most memorable part of his speech:

“To me, there are three things we all should do every day; we should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.”

I agree with Jimmy. He was an exuberant guy, one who certainly seized the day.

I have a great memory of when his underdog North Carolina State basketball team won the NCAA National Championship in 1983 with a dunk at the last second. I was watching with a law school friend in his basement apartment (next door to my basement apartment) in surburban Athens, Georgia. My friend's TV was a tiny black-and-white version. We both were rooting for Jimmy V's team because they were not supposed to be in the championship game—and they certainly weren't supposed to win. I remember that Jimmy V bolted onto the court after time expired, running around like a madman looking for someone to hug.

So that memory made me lean toward the V Foundation. What I discovered when I heard about his foundation on TV was that 100 percent of donations go to cancer research. ONE HUNDRED percent!!

The Athletic had a recent article about Valvano's ESPY speech. The article gave some background about the speech. Valvano didn't think he could make it to the award. He was throwing up and could barely walk. Someone literally had to carry him to the cab to go the the ceremony. But somehow he mustered up the strength to give the famous speech that announced the beginning of the V Foundation. At the end of his speech, he focused on cancer and said, “I want to bring it back on the front table. We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love. And it’s very important.”

He announced the foundation's motto: "Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up."

And he ended his speech with by saying, “Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you, and God bless you all.”

All of this is a part of why I chose the V Foundation for my birthday fundraiser. If you feel called to make a donation to help fund cancer research, here's the link: https://vfoundation.donordrive.com/campaign/grateful-for-another-birthday

My goal is to raise $1,500. Right now I'm $411 short of reaching that. My fundraiser ends in three days.

I know some of you reading this have already donated. Thank you so much! I've shared on Facebook but not otherwise, so some of you are just now seeing my link. If you decide to donate in this very busy time when money can be running short, know that I really appreciate you!

And so do all the people who will benefit from the research by the Jimmy V Foundation research recipients.