Dick Vitale

ESPN College Basketball Analyst, Motivational Speaker And Philanthropist

Dick Vitale is among the most recognized and beloved personalities in Sports.   He joined ESPN as a college basketball analyst during the 1979-1980 season – just after the network’s September 1979 launch – following a successful college and pro coaching career.  He is considered by many to be the sport’s biggest ambassador, and recently extended his contract with ESPN through 2013.

Vitale was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 - the highest honor for his profession.  His weekly ESPN.com column is one of the web site’s most popular features.  Also, he’s a regular contributor to ESPN The Magazine, and, of course, has his own web site — www.dickvitaleonline.com.

Vitale is also quite the philanthropist and gives back to the communities and organizations that are close to his heart.  For many years he’s awarded five scholarships annually to the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota (Fla.).
 
He’s on the Board of Directors of The V Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer and founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano (and an organization with has since raised millions of dollars).

Vitale chairs the annual Dick Vitale Gala for Cancer Research as a benefit for The V Foundation.  The 2010 Gala at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota is proud to honor two outstanding individuals - Tony Dungy and Tom Izzo. 

Travelers may join Vitale in Hawaii in July of 2010 as a benefit for The V Foundation.