Dick Vitale to present $200,000 pediatric cancer research grant at Gala

Lakewood Ranch resident Dick Vitale will take another big swing in his fight for a cancer cure at his next Gala. 

At the 14th-annual Dick Vitale Gala, to be held May 10 at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Vitale will present a $200,000 pediatric cancer research grant in the name of Tyler Trent. 

Trent, a former Purdue University student, gained fame and inspired many in 2018 when ESPN ran a story on his fight against osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, before Purdue's football game against Ohio State Oct. 20. He died Jan. 1 after five years with the disease. 

“Tyler Trent captivated the nation with his courageous battle against osteosarcoma,” Vitale said in a release. “He inspired so many with the manner in which he fought this dreaded disease becoming a national hero, especially on the Purdue campus, where he was a student and loved by the Boilermakers family. Trent’s goal was to help those in a similar situation and the V Foundation established the Tyler Trent Fund to raise dollars.

"Many with the football team, including the head coach, Jeff Brohm, credited Tyler with motivating and inspiring them in their biggest victory of the year against the highly rated Ohio State Buckeyes. Tyler lost his battle but he will never ever be forgotten and his legacy of courage, his love for others and his willingness to help others will go on forever.”

For more information, visit dickvitalegala.org.