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Jim Valvano

Dying of metastatic cancer, he told an audience in 1993, "Don't give up, don't ever give up," and announced a foundation that has since granted hundreds of millions of dollars to cancer research.

Jim Valvano (1946-1993) coached North Carolina State to the 1983 NCAA basketball championship and later worked as a broadcaster. In June 1992 he was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary. On 4 March 1993, eight weeks before his death, he accepted the inaugural Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards with a speech in which he announced The V Foundation for Cancer Research, founded with ESPN, and closed with the words that became its motto. He died on 28 April 1993 at 47. The V Foundation has since awarded more than $350 million in research grants, with a scientific advisory committee choosing recipients and all direct donations going to research.

Role
Basketball coach whose ESPY speech founded the V Foundation for Cancer Research
Specialisms
Cancer research fundingPublic advocacy

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