Years ago, John Vallely played basketball.
In 1968, he first walked on to the historic hard court of Pauley Pavilion as a starting guard for the Bruins and helped his team to two national titles under the legendary John Wooden as captain of the 1970 team.
Today, Vallely serves as a member on the board for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to “improve the care, quality of life and survival rate of children who suffer from malignant diseases.”
Next Sunday, Nov. 2, PCRF and Mattel Children’s Hospital will team up with UCLA as the Bruins host their inaugural Dribble for the Cure event.
Vallely is a two-time cancer survivor, cancer research supporter and activist. He survived a recent four-year battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, including an antilogous stem cell transplant and later, an unrelated donor stem cell transplant.
In 1991, his daughter Erin passed away at the age of 12 after being diagnosed with cancer three years earlier.
It was Vallely who introduced the philanthropic event to UCLA’s athletic administration last year.
Vallely’s personal experiences with cancer have led him to engage in proactive measures of searching for a cure.
In this specific effort, he sought to collaborate with his alma mater.
“My journey has taken me down this cancer road, and it has gotten my attention to say the least,” Vallely said, “and my UCLA family has provided huge support for this new program.”
Upon learning about the Dribble for the Cure and its mission, Vallely recognized a potential for success of the program at UCLA.
“I have been a board member for Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation for twenty years and saw this opportunity for everyone to do well with all our efforts joined together,” Vallely said.
The concept for Dribble for the Cure originated with Al McGuire, the decorated hall of fame basketball coach of Marquette University. The event has since found a home on the West Coast, first at USC three years ago, and this year at UCLA.
“I started last January to build this fundraiser by asking Coach Ben Howland if he would have an interest in such a program,” Vallely said. “Then I went to the UCLA administration and Ashley Armstrong to see about a date.”
Armstrong, director of Student-Athlete Development in Athletics, said that one of the main goals in putting on the event is to reach out to the greater campus community in hopes of involving multiple dimensions of the university.
“For us, it’s about reaching out to the campus and the community,” Armstrong said. “Athletics is really the front porch of most every university and people are excited when Athletics is involved. We’re hopefully going to make it a day here at UCLA and make it fun for our fans and for the participants to be involved.”
The Office of Residential Life represents one segment of the UCLA community taking strides to get involved in the Dribble. TiRease Holmes, the resident director for Sproul Hall, said that the resident assistants have also been publicizing the event.
“All of our RA staff knows about it,” Holmes said. “They have been passing out fliers and advertising to their residents about the events. The student leaders are also spreading the word.”
In addition to men’s basketball, student-athletes from other Bruin athletic teams will participate in the event.
Armstrong said that UCLA student-athletes visit the hospital on a regular basis, and this event is another way for them to involve themselves in the community.
“We do a lot with Mattel; they’re one of our corporate sponsors. We do a lot of community service with them involving our student-athletes, and this is just another opportunity for our athletes to really be involved in giving back.”
Vallely contends that the event will be a valuable and eye-opening experience for all those involved.
“Everyone wins in the Dribble for the Cure,” Vallely said. “The basketball team will get to see and meet some patients who have not been as blessed as them. The team will have an important role in bringing awareness and money to change the world for these little ones.”
Vallely said he strongly advocates the importance of cancer research and stresses the potential for a cure.
“When my daughter was diagnosed, only 40 percent survived their disease,” Vallely said. “Now because of research we are up to an 80 percent survival rate. We have a little further to go.”
The proceeds raised by the event will be distributed equally between its corporate sponsors.
“Mattel Children’s Hospital and Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation will receive all the funds from this event to advance their respective research efforts. The sponsors and participants will know that their time and money are going to a special need.” The event’s hosts also intend to make the day a fun day for all who participate.
“The participants will also get to see this tremendous UCLA campus, meet this year’s team and maybe some of the UCLA stars of the past,” Vallely said. “The Dribble for the Cure will be a day of inspiration for everyone.”