Dick Vitale, 75 years young, never stops raising money to battle cancer

By Staff     Dec 18, 2014

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ESPN commentator Dick Vitale has some fun with the Kansas student section prior to tipoff against Florida on Friday, Dec. 5, 2014 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The NCAA basketball tournament was born March 17, 1939, and Dick Vitale belted out his first cry 84 days later. Do the math. Dick Vitale, who has a blast throwing himself into the middle of college basketball crowds, is 75. I guess I never thought about his age, but that just blew me away when I read that recently.

At the age of 40, Vitale was on the call for ESPN’s first college basketball game, Dec. 5, 1979, when De Paul defeated Wisconsin, 90-77, and he hasn’t stopped since, except to take a break for a couple of months after undergoing vocal-cord surgery seven years ago today.

Vitale’s had a blast doing games, but his best work has come when he uses his fame to help causes in much the same way his look-alike, actor Brad Pitt, has. Vitale’s passion, of course, is raising funds to battling cancer. He’s relentless in trying to find ways to help. His latest effort is a fun book, “It’s Awesome, Baby!” written with Dick Weiss and Joan Williamson. Proceeds go to cancer research.

Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander is quoted in the book about his plans: “One-and-done and then come back and get my degree.”

Vitale also writes about Kansas coach Bill Self in a chapter titled, “Future Hall of Famers,” and about ex-KU coach Larry Brown in the chapter, “Senior Citizens Thriving.”

Nobody has to tell Vitale that the secret to life is living it up. He’s a great lover of life, which might have something to do with why he’s so moved by premature deaths caused by cancer. Two words best sum up Dick Vitale: Kind man.

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