July 3rd through 13th marked “V Week,” when The V Foundation raises research funds each year in honor of Valvano with the ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic and an auction of signed sports memorabilia and one-of-a-kind sports experiences. If you listen to ESPN Radio, you may have heard them auctioning off these great sports items over the last 10 days. The auction has now ended, but you can still make a donation at any time.
Finally, if you haven’t already seen it – or it’s been a while – this is also the perfect time to watch Valvano’s famously moving ESPY Awards speech, in which he announced his foundation and gave it his trademark mantra – “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up” – just eight weeks before his death. It’s a speech that will make you laugh, cry and think, all three things that Valvano argues make for a full day and a full life.