It’s Jimmy V week at ESPN, which means the network is raising money to benefit The V Foundation. As part of the effort, ESPN provided a unique second-screen experience during Tuesday night’s Jimmy V Classic between No. 4 Villanova and No. 12 Gonzaga.
ESPN’s Shelley Smith hosted the broadcast alongside fellow cancer survivor Avi Newhouse.
— Shelley Smith (@ShelleyESPN) December 5, 2017
Smith sat down with the 15-year old Newhouse to talk sports and their battles against cancer. Smith has publicly fought the disease since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. She returned to ESPN a few months later after chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
A primary source of inspiration behind her return was the passing of her colleague, Stuart Scott. Scott accepted the Jimmy V Award in July of 2014 for his fight against cancer, only to pass away six months later.
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During ESPN’s Villanova-Gonzaga broadcast, Smith and Newhouse touched on Scott himself, fantasy sports and Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield. Broadcasted live on Facebook, those who tuned in had the option of donating to The V Foundation by simply clicking a donate button. At the conclusion of the segment, Smith mentioned that viewers had given over $1,200 during the roughly 35 minutes they were live.
15-year-old cancer survivor Avi Newhouse joins ESPN reporter and cancer survivor Shelley Smith for a special broadcast of Villanova vs. Gonzaga to benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research
Posted by ESPN on Tuesday, December 5, 2017