ESPN Launching ESPY Day For The V Foundation

ESPN will expand its 21-year effort to help find a cure for cancer during The 2014 ESPYS presented by Capital One with a day-long fundraising drive across multiple ESPN platforms on Wednesday, July 16. ESPY Day Benefitting The V Foundation for Cancer Research will begin at midnight ET with integrated fundraising messaging across ESPN networks culminating with a special simulcast of the ESPYS on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. The simulcast will include fundraising elements and heavy social media integration of the hashtag #DontEverGiveUp, inspired by Jim Valvano’s iconic speech at the 1993 ESPYS.

“ESPY Day, a vision of former ESPN president and V Foundation Board Member George Bodenheimer, expands ESPN’s longstanding commitment to engage viewers in the fight against cancer,” said ESPN president John Skipper. “I am so proud of the collaboration among our fans, sponsors and supporters that will make ESPY Day a great success.”

Added Susan Braun, CEO of The V Foundation: “ESPY Day is another important effort in our shared fight against this terrible disease. Donations made throughout this multiplatform initiative allow us to continue funding life-saving research programs.”

Throughout ESPY Day, viewers and listeners will be encouraged to donate to The V Foundation by calling 800-4-JimmyV or visiting www.jimmyv.org. In 2013, ESPY-related fundraising totaled $2 million from the ESPN Radio ESPY Day Auction and the ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. To date, these efforts have raised more than $17 million for cancer research.

Additional Highlights:

• ESPN Radio will expand the 10th annual ESPY Day auction hosted by eBay to include fundraising and live auction updates across ESPNEWS simulcasts of the Mike & Mike, The Herd (airing live from Moores Cancer Center in San Diego), SVP & Russillo and the Freddie Coleman Show throughout ESPY Day. The auction begins Sunday, July 6, and includes tickets to a host of prime sporting events, autographed memorabilia, unique experiences with athletes, celebrities and ESPN personalities, behind-the-scenes experiences with Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Football, Grantland, College GameDay, Mike & Mike, The Herd and more. Listeners and viewers can also enter a sweepstakes for $20 to win a grand prize, exclusive 5-Day, 4-Night experience at Super Bowl XLIV with the NFL and ESPN, as well as additional prizes. Details will be available on ESPN.com beginning June 30.

• Don’t Ever Give Up: The ESPYS Jimmy V Award for Perseverance hosted by Sage Steele will debut Tuesday, July 15, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and re-air several times on July 16. The program is a compilation of speeches from the previous winners of the Jimmy V Award at the ESPYS including Kay Yow, Kevin Everett, Don Meyer, ESPN NBA analyst George Karl, Anthony Robles, Eric LeGrand and Dick and Rick Hoyt.

• SportsCenter will televise a series of “Don’t Ever Give Up” vignettes featuring notable celebrities, athletes and coaches including University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron, Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and others.

• SportsCenter will debut an original feature story narrated by Tom Rinaldi that explores how cancer patients and survivors find healing through sports.

• ESPN Deportes will also televise a compilation show featuring past Jimmy V Award winners andSportsCenter’s Don’t Ever Give Up vignettes at 12 p.m. on ESPY Day and include special fundraising messaging during #Redes at 7 p.m. and Nación ESPN at 8 p.m. leading up to the ESPYS.

• The 14^th annual ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic for The V Foundation for Cancer Research at Pacific Palms in Industry Hills, Calif. will once again raise funds for cancer research on Tuesday, July 15.

• Viewers are encouraged to utilize the hashtag #DontEverGiveUp to share who they “don’t ever give up for” across social media platforms on ESPY Day. Tweets and other social posts using the hashtag will be integrated during the ESPYS simulcast on ESPN2 at 9 p.m.

• Additional integrated fundraising messaging will appear across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes and ESPN.com.