SARASOTA (SNN-TV) – Major names in sports flood the Suncoast every May as it signals time for the annual Dick Vitale Gala. Every year, along with raising money to fight pediatric cancer, some of the sports world’s finest are honored. This year two college basketball legends receive recognition for their courage and their spirit.
“If we had the technology we have today, Coach Valvano may still be alive. It could really be helping in his fight as well. We’ve made some breakthroughs, we’ve raised a lot of money and Coach V would say, you’re doing a great job, but we could do even better” – Dereck Whittenburg
Doing even better is the goal this Gala season, as last year Dick Vitale and The V foundation raised a record $11.1M to help fund pediatric cancer research. Courage and Spirit are two defining words attached to Dick Vitale’s legacy when discussing his enthusiastic personality and detailing his own bouts with cancer.
1983 NCAA Champion at NC State and one of the founding V Foundation board member, Dereck Whittenburg has seen cancer stricken loved ones first-hand. His experience, notably, is with V Foundation founder and Whittenburg’s former head coach, Jim Valvano.
Whittenburg was involved in one of the sports’ most iconic moments, when NC State won the title at the buzzer over Houston in 1983. A moment that lives on in highlight reels forever, but a moment that also started a legacy of helping those in need.
“Forty-years ago, a group of ordinary kids from all walks of life, achieved something that nobody thought we could do. And then, ten years later, our leader and our coach was diagnosed with cancer, and he left us. But, he left us a tremendous legacy of trying to help people. So, the ’83 championship team was the origin of The V Foundation.”
The Hall of Famer and NC State Ambassador and assistant Athletic Director is being honored at this year’s Gala with the John Saunders Courage Award. Whittenburg receiving the award is no coincidence, as he and the late-Saunders were no strangers to one another, both having served on the V foundation board since its inception.
“John was an outstanding journalist, very smart, did a great job for ESPN. [He] love his family, and I’m honored to receive the award in his name. He was a great friend and we miss him dearly.”
While the Gala honors Whittenburg’s Courage it also, for the first time, will bestow the Dick Vitale Spirit Award, the inaugural recipient is Tennessee men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes.
During Dickie V’s battle with Lymphoma last year, Barnes made headlines nationwide for sending Vitale daily prayers and scriptures filled with encouragement for the fighting face of college basketball. A devout Catholic in Vitale never imagined a simple request of prayer from Barnes would be met with such reverent commitment.
“One day he said, he texted me and said you don’t have to do this. I said, no this is good for me too, it’s brought me closer to the Lord. So getting an award that’s based on praying for him, along with thousands of other people, I would truly say it maybe is the most wonderful award I’ve ever received.” – Rick Barnes
Barnes says the Spirit award should be Vitale’s to win every year, as he embodies the definition of the word. Bonding through their faith, Barnes and Vitale exchanged messages daily, with as we know Dickie V inevitably beating his cancer late last year.
‘One of my prayers was, make sure to use Dick in a great way, continue to let his light shine. With all that he was going through, not one time did that light ever flicker. His light was shining great for the Lord and great for his belief in trying to fight cancer. Faith is the most important thing in my life, and I think he would tell you the same thing.”
Both Barnes and Whittenburg will be rewarded for their efforts this Friday at the 18th Annual Dick Vitale Gala.
SNN continues its coverage of the Dick Vitale Gala tomorrow as we hear from event emcee, former Sarasota sports anchor, and ESPN mainstay, Kevin Negandhi. We’ll also speak with the man himself, Dick Vitale, tomorrow only on SNN.
