Jimmy Valvano Foundation Raised Nearly 1.6 Million Dollars

By no stretch of anyone’s imagination have I ever been confused with a lover of ESPN. But sometimes they get it right. They air college hoops, PTI, and Dan Le Betard is Highly Questionable. Other than that, don’t really care for the world-wide leader in spewing out a slew of nonsensical garbage to increase viewers. However, for one week a year they do something that no cynic could complain about – Jimmy V Week.

Jimmy V week is something that started after the death of former college basketball coach Jimmy Valvano,  but whose roots are in his V Foundation. The foundation was co-started by Valvano and ESPN to help raise money for cancer research. ESPN is currently reporting that this year’s Jimmy V week raised a record of nearly 1.6 million dollars. The previous record, in 2011, was a cool $1.3 million. Showing us that no matter how much we all might despise ESPN, we hate cancer that much more(Obviously).

This was the sixth annual Jimmy V week and the network will surely continue its great work of raising money through the foundation and it’s yearly week of festivities.

For those of you who are somehow unaware of who Valvano is, he was the head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack and led them to a National Title in 1983. Before his passing Valvano gave one of the most memorable speeches in sports history, talking about his battle with cancer. Here is the video if you care to watch. Hope you have tissues handy.

http://youtu.be/PNKJNNbPCEc

Joe covers the Catholic Seven for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JosephNardone