ESPN’s inaugural ESPY Day Benefiting The V Foundation for Cancer Research raised more than $6.5 million for cancer research on Wednesday, July 16, it was announced today by John Skipper, president, ESPN. The $6.5 million figure more than tripled last year’s ESPY-related fundraising total of just over $2 million. The new ESPY Day initiative expanded ESPN’s 21-year effort to help find a cure for cancer with a day-long fundraising drive across multiple ESPN platforms. To date, ESPY-related fundraising efforts have raised more than $23.5 million for cancer research.

“I want to thank our fans, employees, sponsors and supporters for making the very first ESPY Day a great success,” said Skipper. “The astounding level of support for this initiative is a testament to our collective determination to find a cure for this terrible disease.”

Susan Braun, CEO, The V Foundation, added, “Everyone at The V Foundation is ecstatic. After 21 years of extraordinary partnership, ESPN has again raised the bar and jumped over it. The result will be much more life-saving cancer research. That’s a big win.”

As announced by Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts during the ESPYS, the total includes a $4 million investment from Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, in a grants program with The V Foundation. The grants will fund research scholars working within an emerging scientific field known as convergence, a new model of research meant to spur innovation in new ways of combating cancer. Additional details about the announcement are available on ESPN MediaZone.

The donations also included $1.2 million from the 10^th annual ESPN Radio ESPY Day Auction hosted by eBay, $1 million from the ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic, held on Tuesday, July 15, at Pacific Palms in Industry Hills, Calif. and $378,000 directly from viewers through ESPY Day fundraising across ESPN platforms. Among the highest winning bids for auction items were tickets to watch a Dallas Mavericks game with owner Mark Cuban ($47,100), the original SportsCenter Desk ($26,100), tickets to the finale of The Voice ($20,100) and a behind-the-scenes experience with Monday Night Football and Sunday NFL Countdown ($19,600).

About Team ESPN

Team ESPN, the corporate citizenship program of ESPN, encompasses ESPN’s multi-faceted community initiatives, including employee volunteerism, charitable giving and cause marketing, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. Through Team ESPN, ESPN employees and fans join together to make a difference in the communities where we live, work and play.

About The V Foundation for Cancer Research

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has awarded more than $115 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. Administrative and fundraising expenses are paid by the Foundation’s endowment. The Foundation awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Board. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

About Stand Up To Cancer

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about cancer prevention as well as progress being made in the fight against the disease. For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, visit standup2cancer.org.

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Media Contacts
ESPN: Kristen Hudak at 917.698.3726 or kristen.m.hudak@espn.com.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research: Sherrie Mazur at 919.271.8248 or smazur@jimmyv.org
Stand Up To Cancer: Kathleen Lobb at 646.398.7809 or klobb@eifoundation.org