SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
Directed by Jonathan Hock

ESPN’s newest 30 for 30 documentary, entitled “Survive and Advance” will premier this Sunday night, March 17th, at 9 pm Eastern on ESPN. In 1983, Jim Valvano, for whom The V Foundation is named, coached the North Carolina State men’s basketball team to an improbable national championship. 10 years later, he lost his life to cancer. Produced by team captain and V Foundation Board member, Dereck Whittenberg, Survive and Advance tells the story of this win, the team that did it, the coach who lost his hard-fought battle with cancer. It is a gripping story of unmatched athletic triumph, and ultimately of love and loss.

The movie will air on ESPN’s channels throughout the rest of March and April. It will also air on Saturday night, April 6th at 4 pm Eastern on ABC. Learn more about the movie here.

See the original article at http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/events/2013/030413a.shtml

(L to R) CEO of the V Foundation Susan Braun, President Emeritus of the V Foundation Nicholas Valvano, FDNY Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Prezant, Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, Chief of Department Edward Kilduff and First Deputy Commissioner Don Shacknai.

Members of the FDNY were honored to partner with representatives from the V Foundation for Cancer Research at FDNY Headquarters on March 4 to announce that the Foundation is bestowing a $1 million grant to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to study early detection of hematological cancers that effect first responders.

“Right now, there are too many of our members fighting this disease,” Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said. “And we know there will be far too many more that will develop cancer from their work, and ultimately, many who may lose their lives. That’s why this grant means so much to every single member of this Department.”

Chief of Department Edward Kilduff added, “This is a terrific organization with one goal, to raise money for cancer research, to help people. So to be selected by them for this grant is very special.”

The FDNY’s medical offices have provided medical care to more than 16,000 FDNY members who worked at the World Trade Center site since 2001. These doctors were the first to recognize respiratory disease in those who worked at the site as well as document a spike in certain cancers occurring in this group.

The V Foundation has funded more than $100 million in cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The Foundation distributes grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Board.

Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano addresses the group.

The group says they hope the funding of this research will lead to earlier detection of blood-related cancers, resulting in increased survival rates for FDNY members and the public overall.

“This is a great day for the Department,” FDNY Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Prezant said. “Thank you to the V Foundation for their unending commitment to our members.”

At the ceremony, many FDNY members referenced the plaque in the lobby of Headquarters that currently holds the names of 64 FDNY members who have lost their lives due to illnesses, including cancer, that were directly related to their work at the World Trade Center site.

And just feet away from where the ceremony was held is the plaque for Fire Marshal Steve Mosiello, who responded to the World Trade Center tragedy with Chief of Department Peter Ganci. FM Mosiello died from an aggressive form of cancer he developed due to his work at the site.

“We take this battle personally,” Nicholas Valvano, President Emeritus of the V Foundation, said. “There is a need here that just cried out. This is an important project for me, the FDNY and society as a whole.”

The announcement came on the 20^th anniversary of the start of the V Foundation.

“This is all about giving back and prevention,” CEO of the V Foundation, Susan Braun said. “This is something that’s close to our hearts. We’re working together to save lives.”

The V Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board members presented the most recent cancer breakthroughs and a progress report on V Foundation-funded cancer research.

 The V Foundation has already applied over $100 million of your generous contributions to find cures for cancer. The medical doctors and scientists presenting at the Research Symposium are, without a doubt, the absolute experts in their field, and the V Foundation is thankful for, and honored by, their presence and continuing contributions.

Dr. Robert Bast, chairman of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, opened the symposium, which was attended by over 200 people, by announcing the Board’s renewed focus on Translational Clinical Research to facilitate the transition of research projects from the laboratory to the clinic. Translational researchers seek to apply basic knowledge of cancer and bring the benefits of the new basic-level understandings to patients more quickly and efficiently. Dr. Bast is Vice President for Translational Research at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is also a founding member of The V Foundation Board of Directors and the Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Bast described the three kinds of Research Grants that The V Foundation provides:

• Designated Grants – 300 in the last 16 years, $100K each, committed to researching new ideas on a specific type of cancer.
• V Scholar Grants – 100 in the last 16 years, $100K for 2 years to younger researchers with new ideas.
• Translational Grants – 100 in the last 16 years, $200K for 3 years to innovative researchers who have discovered a cancer breakthrough in the lab, and will now move their solutions from the lab to clinical trials to determine if their solutions are effective on cancer patients.

Dr. Bast then described the results of a V Foundation Translational Grant that was made to find cures for melanoma, a very common skin cancer. Through specialized research that provided deeper understanding about the cells and molecules affected by this cancer, success was measured in 50% of the patients who have had abnormal DNA from a single gene. By combining targeted therapies with new immunotherapies, there has been an 80% success rate and the skin cancer has not returned. There is more research to be done, but the progress in combating melanoma is continuous.

Dr. Bast then introduced Sylvia Plevritis, PhD., Associate Professor, Department of Radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Plevritis, a very senior research professional who has already received multiple grants from the National Institute of Health, described her work in breast cancer computer modeling. She received a Translational Grant from The V Foundation to study genomic therapies and the value of early screening and detection of breast cancer. She and her team have created an on-line Decision Support Tool which is publically available at http://brcatool.stanford.edu/ . This decision support tool is designed for joint use by women with BRCA gene mutations and their health care providers. The goal of this tool is to inform discussion between providers and patients about options for reducing cancer risk. Dr Plevritis also discussed her Systems Biology Research, which is based on a “tsunami of molecular data” available in the public domain, from all of the cancer research that has been carried out, and the challenge of integrating and synthesizing this complex data to inform better outcomes. The specific purpose is: 1) to identify cellular networks of cancer and the drivers of initiation and progression, 2) to identify potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of action, 3) to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers, with the ultimate goal of accelerating benefits from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside.

Dr Bast then opened the Cancer Symposium to Q & A, after first introducing the entire V Foundation Scientific Advisory Board who were in attendance, to provide specific answers to questions from the attendees. A summary of the discussion is below (see the YouTube videos for the complete discussion):

• Q. Is pancreatic cancer growing in our society? A. Pancreatic cancer is increasing consistent with the aging population in the US, but there is a lot of new research to combat this cancer.
• Q. How can cancer be prevented? A. There is no cure for abnormal genetics. People need to understand their genetic history and share that information with health providers who may be able to provide early screening. Diet and metabolism need to be understood, and a healthy lifestyle is important for preventing cancer. Tobacco still causes one third of the cancers today.
• Q. Is there an increase in brain tumors?  A. There doesn’t appear to be an increase in brain cancer in adults, but there may be an increase in children.
• Q. How is the National Comprehensive Care Center Database kept current so that the patients who want to do personal research know that they are getting the best information? A. They are very rapidly updated.
• Q. Are more Cancer Centers using integrated therapies to enhance the wellbeing of patients? A. Yes, there is a lot more being done, but these do not necessarily improve outcomes. However, some of the Chinese medicines have proven useful in curing some forms of cancer.

To view the Cancer Research Symposium in its entirety, visit the V Foundation Wine Celebration’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/winecelebration. The V Foundation works with the best and brightest scientists and doctors to fight cancer. Their goal is to use all of the cancer fighting therapies, in combination, to create a personal therapy to respond to the unique cancers that exist.

NAPA, CA, AUGUST 4, 2012 – The V Foundation for Cancer Research’s annual fundraiser, The V Wine Celebration, garnered nearly $4 million over the weekend of August 3 and 4 for cancer research.

The V Foundation’s signature fundraising event attracted attendees from all over the U.S. to the Napa Valley for a gala weekend of events and activities with a serious underlying purpose — to benefit the foundation’s efforts to support significant cancer research at major institutions and research centers nationwide.

The 14^th annual V Wine Celebration kicked off Friday evening with its popular “Let’s Get it Started” party at The Pavilion at The Vintage Estates in Yountville. Food prepared by some of Napa Valley’s renowned restaurateurs and chefs was accompanied by an array of wines from equally legendary Napa Valley wineries. Guests bid on silent, super silent, and barrel auction lots comprising unique wine, sports, art and travel packages, and danced to high-energy music performed by David Martin’s House Party.

Saturday morning the foundation presented a public Cancer Research Symposium, where prominent physicians and research scientists from around the nation gathered to present the most current advances and discoveries in clinical applications, new diagnostics and alternative treatments for cancer. The standing-room-only crowd of several hundred then had the rare opportunity of posing questions to these leading researchers during a lively Q&A session.

The weekend’s activities culminated with a gala dinner and live auction at Nickel & Nickel Winery. Suzanne Pride Bryan of Pride Mountain Vineyards was honored as the V Vintner grant recipient. A breast cancer survivor herself, Suzanne shared the story of her father Jim Pride’s battle with bladder cancer. Before he died, he made a generous gift to Stanford to advance the fight against bladder cancer — which helped the research team to isolate the stem cell for bladder cancer, a critical step toward identifying a cure. The V Foundation will make a donation in Suzanne’s name to the Masonic Cancer Center at University of Minnesota to research enzyme catalyst mutations in breast cancer.

Chairman Bob Lloyd and event host, Legendary College Football Hall of Famer Lou Holtz, who has made a career of inspiring players and motivating them to be winners, livened up the crowd and implored the guests to give generously, and they did. Holtz, whose own wife is a stage four cancer survivor, provided some levity for the evening, even performing a magic trick for the crowd, and reminding them there is no magic in solving cancer. He ended his remarks with advice for happiness: “If you want to be happy for an hour, eat a steak. If you want to be happy for a day, play golf. If you want to be happy for a week, go on a cruise. If you want to be happy for a month, buy a car. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, help us solve cancer.”

The most compelling component of the auction was this year’s Fund-A-Need, auction lot #11, which honored the first responders to 9/11. V Foundation CEO Nick Valvano introduced the Fund-A-Need and acknowledged the dozens of men and women in uniform surrounding the room, Napa County’s first responders, who received a standing ovation from the appreciative crowd. Researchers have reported the presence of hundreds of compounds in Ground Zero dust, among them known carcinogens. Many of the first responders, who arrived at the site of the World Trade Center within hours of the twin towers’ collapse and spent months searching for survivors and cleaning up after the attacks, are now being diagnosed with cancer.

After a video showing images from that fateful day accompanied by a stirring rendition of God Bless America sung by the “singing policeman,” New York City cop Daniel Rodriguez, bidders honored these heroes by uniting to donate more than $800,000 to support a collaborative effort between the Fire Department of the City of New York WTC Health Program, Montefiore Medical Center, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the National Cancer Institute. Michael and Carole Marks, followed by Tracy and Lou Ann ORourke, generously kicked off the fund-a-need, pledging $100,000 each.

Auctioneer David Reynolds kept the bidding lively through all 34 lots, including travel experiences in China, Turkey and Finland, a walk-on role on the popular TV show Royal Pains, and a never-before-offered vertical featuring 19 Vintages of Harlan Estate wines. Befitting the foundation’s origins (it was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator), sports enthusiasts found a variety of enticing lots, among them the opportunity to sail on USA 76, Oracle’s AC Class boat that competed in the America’s Cup and VIP tickets to the winter and summer X Games, Indy 500, the Masters, the ESPYs, the Super Bowl and the Duke Blue Devils Bonanza.

The live auction also featured lots donated by Bentley Motors, Inc. of an ice driving experience in Finland, including accommodations at a luxury chalet, round-trip business class air travel, a dog sled tour and snowmobile excursion; as well as a special Napa Valley package for 10 couples including dinner at the exclusive Napa Valley Reserve and overnight accommodations at Meadowood Resort. Last year, Larry and Nancy Probst were the lucky winners of a 2012 Bentley Continental GT Coupe. This year, the Probsts generously donated that car back to The V Wine Celebration to be raffled off again.

Generosity paid off for top bidders Launny and Weezie Steffens, proprietors of Vineyard 7 & 8, who were the proud winners of the Bentley in this year’s raffle. In addition to a generous pledge to the Fund-A-Need, the Steffens won lot #23, a private concert and dinner with Joshua Bell and Beth Nickel in New York, and lot #32, a Clubhouse Finish Line Suite on Millionaire’s Row at the Kentucky Derby.

Both Donald and Irene Dizney and Linda and Gus Doppes captured VIP tickets to Good Morning America, when Robin Roberts, Good Morning America and ESPN host and V Foundation board member, generously agreed to double the lot.

Rich and Leslie Frank are headed on a 10-day journey for six to Turkey and an eight-day tour of China after taking home lots #4 and #8. Ron and Teri Kuhn are staying closer to home, with a golf trip in LasVegas, premier tickets to SuperBowl XVII, a grand celebration in honor of Robert Mondavi’s 100^th birthday and VIP tickets to the 124^th Rose Parade. Evan and Cindy Goldberg took home the rare 19-vintage Harlan Estate vertical and a luxury stay and golf excursion in Pebble Beach.

After the final gavel, the entertainment continued with a private performance by American rock legend Chris Isaak, followed by a meet-and-greet.

The 15th anniversary of the V Foundation Wine Celebration will be held August 1-3, 2013. For more information about the 2013 event, call 707-963-0611 or visit www.winecelebration.org.

ABOUT THE V FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has raised more than $140 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The V Foundation, which has received eight top four-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a scientific advisory board. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org or www.winecelebration.org.

NEWS
Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts to Join The V Foundation’s Board of Directors

May 22, 2012

The V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading cancer research foundations, is excited to announce that Robin Roberts has been named as the newest member of its Board of Directors. Roberts, a cancer survivor herself, has been co-anchor of ABC’s “Good Morning America” since 2005.

“From standing in the wings following Jim and his inspirational ESPY speech to observing the great work of The Foundation, I am truly honored to serve on the Board,” said Roberts.

Roberts, a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, has been a broadcast journalist since 1983. She spent time at local news affiliates throughout the Southeast prior to beginning a fifteen year career with ESPN as a contributor between 1990 and 2005. Subsequently, Roberts took her post at “Good Morning America.” Since joining the show as co-anchor, the broadcast has been awarded three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program. In June of 2007, Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer. She faced her diagnosis with courage and her ensuing battle has been recognized with honors and awards by various organizations throughout the country.

“From our inception, Robin has been a friend and supporter of The V Foundation,” said Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation. “We are thrilled that Jim’s former colleague at ESPN has agreed to join our Board of Directors as we work to defeat this horrible disease.”

The Board of Directors for The V Foundation for Cancer Research was originally established in 1993. The Board is made up of business leaders, award-winning athletes and coaches, distinguished physicians and world-renowned entertainers. Their purpose is to provide governance to insure the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of The V Foundation while upholding its core principles.

W. Martin Kast, Ph.D.

 In 2003, Dr. W. Martin Kast, professor at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, was awarded a Translational Grant to explore a new approach for dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy for cervical cancer. In the past eight years, Kast and his team have been focusing on the behavior of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer.

Dr. Kast leveraged his 2003 Translational Grant to procure major subsequent funding through two grants from the NIH totaling $2.6 million.  Highly accomplished, Dr. Kast has published more than 250 articles and holds 18 patents.  Most recently, he was named the 2010 Eminent Scientist of the Year by the International Research Promotion Council and 2010 North American Immunologist by the World Scientists Forum.

The V Foundation’s grant has led to major discoveries for Kast’s team, including the identification of the uptake receptor for HPV and an escape-route of HPV from the immune system. Kast explained that the mechanism of immune escape for the virus is the “Achilles’ heel of the virus” and this is now the focal point of his research.  Kast is currently developing a therapeutic vaccine for HPV-induced cervical cancer and is leading the world in research for a cream that can be used for HPV infections.

The V Foundation grant has not only helped Kast generate more funding from the National Institute of Health, but has also allowed him to train his graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, who are currently multiplying his research efforts in their own laboratories.

Kast is passionate about the need for funding in cancer research and is incredibly supportive of The V Foundation.

“Everyone in this life will either be confronted directly or indirectly by cancer,” Kast said. “The direct correlation between funding levels and medical research discoveries really indicates that the more funding you put into [research], the more lives you save. You can hardly imagine how important your contributions are for making cancer a disease of the past.”

Kast is a professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Urology. This is his eighth year at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“You can hardly imagine how important your contributions are for making cancer a disease of the past.”

To donate, please visit jimmyv.org/holiday or call 1-800-4JIMMYV

       On March 1, 2012, The V Foundation Wine Celebration team put together a group of our biggest vintner supporters and hosted a wine reception at this year’s gala event at the TED conference in Long Beach. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design and is attended by some of the biggest thinkers and entrepreneurs of our time. Each year TED assembles a cast of characters capable of stirring the imagination as never before. Explorers, storytellers, photographers, scientific pioneers, visionaries and provocateurs from all parts of the globe and is hosted by some of the biggest names in technology and innovation.

This year the V was there and brought along our friends from Chappellet, Gargiulo, John Anthony, Silver Oak, Vineyard 7&8, Peju, Meteor, Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel, PRIDE, Alpha Omega, William Cole, Frogs Leap, and the Napa Vintners Reserve. The evening was a fantastic success with the Tedsters (what they call their attendees) engaging with these amazing wineries and learning about the V Foundation.

The V Foundation also assisted in three wine receptions during the week, including a special reception for Gucci, the speakers for the conference, and a special private event for the top 50 attendees.

The V Foundation, Chappellet Wines, and Michael Jordan (the Master Sommelier from Los Angeles) did a special Masters Wine Tasting Class during the event and TED has expressed interest in expanding that program for 2013.

As a result of this years successful event we have been invited back for a larger role in 2013.

NEARLY $4 MILLION RAISED FOR CANCER RESEARCH

AT 14^TH ANNUAL V WINE CELEBRATION

NAPA, CA, AUGUST 4, 2012 – The V Foundation for Cancer Research’s annual fundraiser, The V Wine Celebration, garnered nearly $4 million over the weekend of August 3 and 4 for cancer research.

The V Foundation’s signature fundraising event attracted attendees from all over the U.S. to the Napa Valley for a gala weekend of events and activities with a serious underlying purpose — to benefit the foundation’s efforts to support significant cancer research at major institutions and research centers nationwide.

The 14^th annual V Wine Celebration kicked off Friday evening with its popular “Let’s Get it Started” party at The Pavilion at The Vintage Estates in Yountville. Food prepared by some of Napa Valley’s renowned restaurateurs and chefs was accompanied by an array of wines from equally legendary Napa Valley wineries. Guests bid on silent, super silent, and barrel auction lots comprising unique wine, sports, art and travel packages, and danced to high-energy music performed by David Martin’s House Party.

Saturday morning the foundation presented a public Cancer Research Symposium, where prominent physicians and research scientists from around the nation gathered to present the most current advances and discoveries in clinical applications, new diagnostics and alternative treatments for cancer. The standing-room-only crowd of several hundred then had the rare opportunity of posing questions to these leading researchers during a lively Q&A session.

The weekend’s activities culminated with a gala dinner and live auction at Nickel & Nickel Winery. Suzanne Pride Bryan of Pride Mountain Vineyards was honored as the V Vintner grant recipient. A breast cancer survivor herself, Suzanne shared the story of her father Jim Pride’s battle with bladder cancer. Before he died, he made a generous gift to Stanford to advance the fight against bladder cancer — which helped the research team to isolate the stem cell for bladder cancer, a critical step toward identifying a cure. The V Foundation will make a donation in Suzanne’s name to the Masonic Cancer Center at University of Minnesota to research enzyme catalyst mutations in breast cancer.

Chairman Bob Lloyd and event host, Legendary College Football Hall of Famer Lou Holtz, who has made a career of inspiring players and motivating them to be winners, livened up the crowd and implored the guests to give generously, and they did. Holtz, whose own wife is a stage four cancer survivor, provided some levity for the evening, even performing a magic trick for the crowd, and reminding them there is no magic in solving cancer. He ended his remarks with advice for happiness: “If you want to be happy for an hour, eat a steak. If you want to be happy for a day, play golf. If you want to be happy for a week, go on a cruise. If you want to be happy for a month, buy a car. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, help us solve cancer.”

The most compelling component of the auction was this year’s Fund-A-Need, auction lot #11, which honored the first responders to 9/11. V Foundation CEO Nick Valvano introduced the Fund-A-Need and acknowledged the dozens of men and women in uniform surrounding the room, Napa County’s first responders, who received a standing ovation from the appreciative crowd. Researchers have reported the presence of hundreds of compounds in Ground Zero dust, among them known carcinogens. Many of the first responders, who arrived at the site of the World Trade Center within hours of the twin towers’ collapse and spent months searching for survivors and cleaning up after the attacks, are now being diagnosed with cancer.

After a video showing images from that fateful day accompanied by a stirring rendition of God Bless America sung by the “singing policeman,” New York City cop Daniel Rodriguez, bidders honored these heroes by uniting to donate more than $800,000 to support a collaborative effort between the Fire Department of the City of New York WTC Health Program, Montefiore Medical Center, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the National Cancer Institute. Michael and Carole Marks, followed by Tracy and Lou Ann ORourke, generously kicked off the fund-a-need, pledging $100,000 each.

Auctioneer David Reynolds kept the bidding lively through all 34 lots, including travel experiences in China, Turkey and Finland, a walk-on role on the popular TV show Royal Pains, and a never-before-offered vertical featuring 19 Vintages of Harlan Estate wines. Befitting the foundation’s origins (it was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator), sports enthusiasts found a variety of enticing lots, among them the opportunity to sail on USA 76, Oracle’s AC Class boat that competed in the America’s Cup and VIP tickets to the winter and summer X Games, Indy 500, the Masters, the ESPYs, the Super Bowl and the Duke Blue Devils Bonanza.

The live auction also featured lots donated by Bentley Motors, Inc. of an ice driving experience in Finland, including accommodations at a luxury chalet, round-trip business class air travel, a dog sled tour and snowmobile excursion; as well as a special Napa Valley package for 10 couples including dinner at the exclusive Napa Valley Reserve and overnight accommodations at Meadowood Resort. Last year, Larry and Nancy Probst were the lucky winners of a 2012 Bentley Continental GT Coupe. This year, the Probsts generously donated that car back to The V Wine Celebration to be raffled off again.

Generosity paid off for top bidders Launny and Weezie Steffens, proprietors of Vineyard 7 & 8, who were the proud winners of the Bentley in this year’s raffle. In addition to a generous pledge to the Fund-A-Need, the Steffens won lot #23, a private concert and dinner with Joshua Bell and Beth Nickel in New York, and lot #32, a Clubhouse Finish Line Suite on Millionaire’s Row at the Kentucky Derby.

Both Donald and Irene Dizney and Linda and Gus Doppes captured VIP tickets to Good Morning America, when Robin Roberts, Good Morning America and ESPN host and V Foundation board member, generously agreed to double the lot.

Rich and Leslie Frank are headed on a 10-day journey for six to Turkey and an eight-day tour of China after taking home lots #4 and #8. Ron and Teri Kuhn are staying closer to home, premier tickets to SuperBowl XVII, a grand celebration in honor of Robert Mondavi’s 100^th birthday and VIP tickets to the 124^th Rose Parade. Evan and Cindy Goldberg took home the rare 19-vintage Harlan Estate vertical and a luxury stay and golf excursion in Pebble Beach.

After the final gavel, the entertainment continued with a private performance by American rock legend Chris Isaak, followed by a meet-and-greet. Guests at The V Wine Celebration were chauffeured to events in luxury automobiles provided by Audi, proud sponsor of The V Wine Celebration.

The 15th anniversary of the V Foundation Wine Celebration will be held August 2 and 3, 2013. For more information about the 2013 event, call 707-963-0611 or visit www.winecelebration.org.

ABOUT THE V FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has raised more than $120 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The V Foundation, which has received eight top four-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a scientific advisory board. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org or www.winecelebration.org.

# # #

CONTACT:   

Max Duley, Auction Director

707-963-0611

 [email protected]

Dr. Neil Aldoroty: Four-time Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Survivor

In October of 1993, Neil Aldoroty, MD, an accomplished, healthy, 47 year old doctor was stunned with the news he had Stage IV Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. For 20 years while he was practicing  he had annual medical check ups with lab work, chest X-rays, EKG’s , etc that always came back normal.  He and his wife Karen took pride in their health.  They watched what they ate, exercised by swimming and running every week, and had a wonderful mental and spiritual outlook on life. Immediately after Neil received this news he urgently reached out to Mike Montgomery, a childhood friend, who was the Men’s basketball coach in Stanford. At Stanford his entire medical history/chart was reviewed which collaborated his diagnosis of Stage IV Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Neil and Karen, numb from shock, were unwilling to accept his fate.

Unique Drug Combinations Improve Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment

This New Approach to Therapeutic Discovery, led by Dr. Thomas F. Westbrook, was supported in 2009 with a V Foundation V Scholars Grant Researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine have found a new way to tackle a difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer – a discovery that is being translated into human studies with currently approved FDA drugs.