The Vitale Gala continues the fight against cancer amid tears and laughter

SARASOTA

There were tears, there was laughter and there were many thought provoking moments.

The Dick Vitale Gala celebrated its 11th edition Friday, and in one night lived all the emotions that Jim Valvano said were essential before succumbing to cancer in 1993.

Dick Vitale took the words that have become immortal in the sports world -- "Don't give up. Don't ever give up!" -- and dedicated his life to making the loss of the North Carolina State basketball coach something that would turn the world around.

The night began at the Ritz-Carlton with Vitale issuing an impassioned plea for dollars that the Gala would give to pediatric cancer research through the Jimmy V Foundation. He has done this every year without a decrease in emotion, not worried about offending anyone or saying something that might be taken the wrong way.

For Vitale, it's about raising money for pediatric cancer research. It's about saving the kids and sparing their parents a pain that never leaves.

It's a long fight that is measured perhaps by inches, but progress is being made as demonstrated by the cancer-surviving children who attended the gala and were honored for their courage.

But as Vitale eloquently noted, some families are not as fortunate.

"You hear it over and over. Only four cents of every research dollar for cancer goes to pediatric cancer research. I respect money going for breast cancer, and bone and lung and prostate cancer, but, gee whiz, kids? Are you kidding me," Vitale said. "We have these elite college football programs that raise money for their facilities, and we can't do more for these kids."

Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, former Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan and television

personality Robin Roberts were the honored guests, but the real heroes were the kids.

One of them, 7-year-old Josh Fisher, stood among all of the sports celebrities as if he were a giant and in many ways he was, according to Meyer.

Fisher has undergone 1,200 doses of chemotherapy and radiation and had multiple surgeries, but he has been cancer free since 2013, Vitale said.

He and many of the other children in the audience were examples of how pediatric cancer research is making great strides, though not fast enough for the parents who have had to bury their children.

"The worse feeling in the world for a coach is to lose a game. But they get another chance. A family that loses a child to cancer does not get another chance," Vitale said. "That is why until my last breath I will plead and beg for people to donate money to this cause."

In one touching moment in a night of many, Josh tried to keep it a secret from Meyer that he is a Michigan football fan, but he finally admitted it.

"Will you give me a chance to make you a Buckeye fan,' Meyer pleaded to the youngster, who summed the courage to approach the coach.

"You are my hero. Thank you for giving me the chance to talk to you," Meyer tenderly said to Josh.

Meyer and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who are fierce rivals on the field, teamed to help Vitale at the Gala.

"It's the first time Jim and I have done something like this, but it's not unusual for Big 10 coaches to work together on things like this," Meyer said. "Both of my parents have had cancer, and we had a great friend who lost his life to cancer. Fortunately, we have Vitale. Everybody has a gift and he has a gift of passion that never stops. It's not just for television. I talked to him on the phone about this event and he is screaming and yelling."

One of the most passionate guests at the gala was former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach and current NFL ESPN announcer Jon Gruden.

"Dick Vitale told me he needed me here and I had to come," Gruden said. "This is an opponent, cancer, that no one can beat. There are a lot of great coaches and sport personalities and we are here to collectively fight this dreaded opponent. I can't wait to get started."

Among the 70-plus sports figures in attendance were Willie Taggart, University of South Florida head football coach, and Ray Woodie, defensive coordinator for the Bulls.

"I was invited by Dick and whenever he invites you, you know it is something big time and something he is very passionate about," said Taggart, a former Manatee High School quarterback great. "It's a chance to be part of something that I don't want to miss. There are so many people who deal with it, and we don't have a cure. We have to keep fighting until we have one."

Woodie, who played for Palmetto and is a former head coach of the Tigers and Bayshore, echoed Taggart's thoughts.

"This is a very special event and you want to be part of it,' Woodie said. "My wife lost her uncle to cancer a couple of months ago, and I know several kids who experienced the same thing. Whatever we can do to fight this disease we want to do. It's a serious thing and we need more support from more people."

Alan Dell, Herald sports columnist/writer, can be reached at 941-745-7056. Follow him on Twitter @ADellSports

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "The Vitale Gala continues the fight against cancer amid tears and laughter ."