The Garry Betty Foundation and V Foundation Announce a Unique Partnership

September 29, 2008

The V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading cancer research fundraising organizations, is proud to announce a partnership with The Garry Betty Foundation. The organizations are joining forces to raise funds throughout the United States to benefit cutting-edge cancer research opportunities.

“In the last few years, The V Foundation has placed an increased emphasis on identifying organizations with which we can collaborate in funding research projects,” says Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation. “By combining the efforts of two organizations who share the same mission, such as The V Foundation and The Garry Betty Foundation, we have developed a powerful synergy in achieving our common goal.”

The Garry Betty Foundation was founded by Garry Betty, who served as president and CEO of EarthLink from 1996 to 2007 and transformed if from a small regional internet service provider (ISP) with fewer than 100,000 customers to a national brand with more than five million subscribers. Garry was a leader in the Atlanta business community as well as the international technology community. Betty passed away in early 2007, just a short time after he was diagnosed with cancer, but was successful in establishing The Garry Betty Foundation to share his experience with the illness and further research to find a cure for the disease.

“We are extremely pleased to join forces with the V Foundation to fight this terrible disease” say Kathy Betty, Garry’s widow and CEO of The Garry Betty Foundation. “Garry never met Jimmy Valvano but he loved ACC basketball and admired Jimmy for his success at North Carolina State. He attended some of the V Foundation events prior to his diagnosis and believed in the important work they were doing”. Continues Betty, “Garry started his foundation to find a cure for cancer and I know he would be very excited about this partnership and the power of leverage between the organizations”.

The first initiative of this collaboration is working with the Georgia Cancer Coalition to fund The Gary Betty/V Foundation Chair of Cancer Nanotechnology position at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. All research grants funded by this effort will be named the Gary Betty/V Foundation Research Grant. “This innovative approach to fighting cancer by funding leading-edge cancer research is one of the most creative I have ever seen,” said William J. Todd, President and CEO of the Georgia Cancer Coalition. “The Garry Betty Foundation and the V Foundation should both be very proud of the good stewardship of precious funds that they have shown by leveraging their investments in such a novel way. The Georgia Cancer Coalition is pleased to be a party to this effort to support promising cancer nanotechnology research at Georgia Tech by bringing our $1.75 million to the table to build a research team of real significance. This is multi-party collaboration with a united vision at its very best,” The V Foundation will provide marketing, administrative, and scientific support for The Garry Betty Foundation. The two organizations will collaborate to raise money for cancer research focused on finding meaningful cures and supporting individuals and families who are stricken with the disease.

For more information about The Garry Betty Foundation, log on to www.thegarrybettyfoundation.org. For more information about The V Foundation for Cancer Research, log on to www.jimmyv.org or call 1-800-4JimmyV.

About The Garry Betty Foundation

The mission of The Garry Betty Foundation is to fund important areas of cancer research such as the initial triggers of the disease and seeks not only a treatment, but a cure for cancer. Recent developments in cancer research indicate that many, if not all, cancers are caused by mutations in specific genes that normally control cell growth within a given organ. While most chemotherapies are effective at killing 99.99% of the cells within a tumor, current data suggests that the therapy does not target the systemic cause of the disease, the formation of the unregulated cancer cells that remain in the patient, preventing cure and allowing for recurrence. The Garry Betty Foundation is committed to funding these specific areas of cancer research and ultimately finding a cure for cancer.

About The V Foundation for Cancer Research

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $80 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The Foundation, which has received five consecutive top 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Review Committee. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.