Number of Participants: 30
Hours Donated: 8
Value of Time Served: $2,028
Event Amount Raised: $60,000
Event Type: Health & Medicine
Sport: Basketball
Date: September 22, 2023
Location:
St John's University
Utopia Parkway, Queens
NY
About:
The event raised over $60,000 for pediatric cancer research.
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John’s men’s and women’s basketball programs hosted the 13th annual Dribble for Victory Over Cancer on Saturday inside Taffner Fieldhouse.
The event raised over $60,000 this year with all proceeds going towards the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Since its inception at St. John’s in 2011, Dribble for Victory Over Cancer has raised over $1 million.
Saturday’s event began with a festival inside Taffner Fieldhouse with attendees gathered and shooting hoops with men’s and women’s basketball programs.
The formal presentation began at 11:30 a.m. when Dr. Mitchell Cairo addressed the crowd and spoke on the impact of this event.
“It has amazed me at the type of public service that comes ever year from St. John’s University,” said Dr. Mitchell Cairo, Chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplants at New York Medical College. “Supporting pediatric cancer research, in my opinion, is one of the utmost public service acts you can do in life.”
Next to the podium was St. John’s University President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.
“I would like to thank all of you for your participation today,” said President Shanley. “I’m really proud of being the President of a university that has the service ethic as we do here at St. John’s.”
Red Storm women’s basketball Head Coach Joe Tartamellaspoke about his experience attending all 13 editions of the annual event and the heroic work of Dr. Cairo and PCRF.
“This is the 13th Dribble for Victory Over Cancer that’s occurred, and I’ve been here for all 13, which I’m really proud of,” Tartamella said. “As Father Shanley said, we’ve all been touched by this in some way, whether it’s family or friends and nothing hits home for me more than when you’re dealing with children. To know that Dr. Cairo has been fighting this fight for his entire career, he’s the true hero in this room for me.”
The final speaker prior to the dribbling around the gym from the men’s basketball program was sophomore forward RJ Luis. Luis thanked everyone in attendance for their support of the event and then the attendees participated in a ceremonial dribble around the Taffner Fieldhouse gym. The event wrapped up with an autograph session featuring the men’s and women’s basketball players.
Since its founding in 1982, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation has invested more than $45 million and funded almost 50 research institutions. Thanks in large part to the efforts of PCRF and like-minded organizations, survival rates from childhood cancers have risen from 10 percent to nearly 85 percent during that same period.
Inspired by its co-founder and namesake, Jim Valvano, the V Foundation has awarded $310 million in cancer research grants since its inception in 1993. One hundred percent of donations to the V Foundation go directly to cancer research.
To find out more information or make a donation for St. John’s Dribble for Victory Over Cancer, click here.
On October 21, the St. John’s men’s basketball team is scheduled to host Rutgers at Carnesecca Arena for an exhibition game benefiting the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. General admission tickets to the contest will be $20 for lower-level, $10 for upper-level seating and $5 for student tickets with all proceeds going to support innovative pediatric cancer research. Click hereto purchase tickets today.