It has been a busy week for the NBA and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital who have teamed up with The V Foundation for Cancer Research and ESPN in the fight against pediatric cancer by raising awareness and funds to support lifesaving work for children.
From February 24 to March 4, the NBA family, led by Hoops for St. Jude Ambassadors and ESPN commentators, will engage fans through this relationship designed to advance cancer research and patient care benefiting children and families that are battling pediatric cancer. All of the donations made towards The V Foundation during this campaign will go towards cancer research benefiting St. Jude’s patients.
The final day of the campaign, March 4, will mark the 20th anniversary of The V Foundation, which was founded in 1993 by ESPN and legendary N.C. State basketball coach and ESPN commentator Jim Valvano. As a cancer patient himself, the late Valvano worked to put an end to the disease by championing investment in promising young cancer researchers. To date, with help from ESPN, The V Foundation has helped carry Valvano’s dream forward by awarding more than $100 million in cancer research grants.
St. Jude and The V Foundation are joined by ESPN and the National Basketball Association, who have committed to promote the campaign within a slate of nationally televised games and broadcasts during Hoops for St. Jude week and through a new public service announcement that will air throughout the week on ESPN, TNT and NBA TV.
“The work that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital does is nothing short of amazing,” said Los Angeles Lakers forward and third-year Hoops for St. Jude Ambassador Pau Gasol in a press release. “I have visited the hospital many times and have witnessed first-hand the impact of the support it receives. Funding from The V Foundation makes our fight against cancer even stronger. St. Jude’s lifesaving work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of others.”
Other Hoops for St. Jude Ambassadors include Pau’s brother Marc Gasol, David Lee, Kevin Love, Lionel Hollins and George Karl.
Fans will have the opportunity to support the pediatric cancer awareness campaign in a variety of ways, including donating at www.stjude.org/hoops or www.jimmyv.org/nba, or donating $10 by texting HOPE to 50333 or JIMMY to 80888 (message and data rates may apply).
Below is the schedule of the nationally televised and broadcasted NBA games where the campaign’s message and cause will be promoted:
Schedule of Nationally Televised NBA Games: Feb. 24 – March 4 (EST)
Sun., 2/24 MEM @ BKN; 7pm/ESPN
Sun., 2/24 CHI @ OKC; 9:30pm/ESPN
Mon., 2/25 BOS @ UTA; 9pm/NBATV
Tues., 2/26 FAN NIGHT/NBATV
Wed., 2/27 GSW @ NYK; 8pm/ESPN
Wed., 2/27 DEN @POR; 10:30pm/ESPN
Thurs., 2/28 MIN @ LAL; 10:30pm/TNT
Fri., 3/1 MEM @ MIA; 8pm/ESPN
Fri., 3/1 OKC@DEN; 10:30pm/ESPN
Sat., 3/2 GSW @ PHI; 7pm/NBATV
Sat., 3/2 MIN @ POR; 10pm/NBATV
Sun., 3/3 CHI @ IND; 8pm/ESPN
Mon., 3/4 MIA @ MIN; 8pm/NBATV
Schedule of Nationally Broadcast NBA Games on ESPN Radio: Feb. 24 – March 3 (EST)
Sun., 2/24 LAL @ DAL; 1pm/ESPN Radio
Thurs., 2/28 PHI @CHI; 8pm/ESPN Radio
Sun., 3/3 MIA @ NYC; 1pm/ESPN Radio
Sun., 3/3 OKC @ LAC; 3:30pm/ESPN Radio
The contributions of St. Jude supporters make it possible for the hospital to treat the toughest cases of childhood cancer, with some of the best outcomes in the world. The best part of it all, no family ever pays St. Jude for anything that they do. St. Jude has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and has helped push the survival rates from 20 to 80 percent since the hospital opened in 1962, a feat that is truly remarkable. They freely share its research discoveries with doctors and scientists around the world, so that one child saved at St. Jude means thousands of others saved worldwide.
For more information on The V Foundation for Cancer Research, visit http://www.jimmyv.org/
For more information on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, visit http://www.stjude.org/
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