As part of the 10th Anniversary of the Cynopsis Sports Media Awards, Cynopsis Sports announced Thursday that ESPN has been named a finalist for its Awareness Campaign for a Social Good Initiative for ESPN's 15th Annual V Week. Winners for this year's Cynopsis Sports Media Awards will be announced on Tuesday, April 19 at the New York Athletic Club.
ESPN hosts V Week annually across its platforms to drive awareness and donations for the V Foundation for Cancer Research with the goal to help find victory over cancer. Since the V Foundation's inception in 1993, ESPN has helped raise more than $155 million. For nearly 30 years, the V Foundation has been folded into the fabric of ESPN, and countless ESPNers have given their time to raise awareness and funds for the organization, helping the V Foundation grow into the success it is today. As part of ESPN's 15th Annual V Week, ESPN was proud to raise more than $13.35 million for the V Foundation, surpassing its previous record total of $8.8 million that ESPN set in 2019.
In addition to overall donations to the V Foundation, some of ESPN's larger activations that helped generate excitement throughout the month included:
• #VStrongBaby: ESPN developed the hashtag #VStrongBaby to show support for ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, who is currently documenting his journey after being diagnosed with lymphoma in October. Direct-to-social fundraising contributed to more than $25,000 and had 2.1 million total engagements.
• Campaign for a Cause: ESPN, StockX and the V Foundation collaborated to award fans who donated with celebrity sneakers and memorabilia. Some items fans took home included Drake x NOCTA x TaylorMade: P·790 Irons (Drake Friends & Family Set), Kevin Durant signed Nike KD14, Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski signed Nike LeBron XVIII Duke PE, among many other items.
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Collaboration: The V Foundation and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. joined forces for the second year in a row for the "Give & Go" campaign in honor of longtime ESPN anchor and Alpha Brother, Stuart Scott, to raise awareness and fundraise to improve outcomes of African American and other minorities disproportionately affected by cancer.
• UFC Fight Like Hell Night: UFC dedicated its Sat., Dec. 4 Fight Night to the V Foundation's Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund. UFC made a $100,000 donation and encouraged fans to donate throughout the month.
• Jim Valvano's ESPYS Speech Roadblock: The annual "roadblock" aired at 7 p.m. ET on Wed., Dec. 1, featuring a tribute to Vitale as he continues to be an inspiration in his battle against cancer, and Valvano's "Don't Give Up" ESPYS speech.
In addition to ESPN being named a finalist for the Awareness Campaign for a Social Good Initiative category, the National Football League's Say Their Stories and NFL Mental Health Campaign, WWE's Tribute to the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and Bleacher Reporter's HighlightHer Her Homecourt also were named finalists.