LOS ANGELES – Dribble for the Cure has a new look for 2020, as UCLA Athletics, Pediatric Research Foundation (PCRF), and the Cancer Research Program at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital partner for a virtual experience set to involve participants outside Los Angeles for the first time in the 13-year history of the event.

Registration is NOW OPEN for the Oct. 11 “Dribble,” which will follow a five-day activity challenge and utilize the PCRF Dribble App powered by MoveSpring. Dribble for the Cure, which in 2011 expanded to include an event at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., has raised more than $2 million in the pursuit to eliminate childhood cancer. The registration cost for this year’s event is $10.

"Our new virtual Dribble for the Cure event is moving forward,” said UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer John Vallely, who starred on two of John Wooden’s championship men’s basketball teams and started Dribble for the Cure at his alma mater in 2008. “As the founder of this special event, I’m thrilled with the innovative platform developed by our staff. I’m surrounded by wonderful talent that is determined to eliminate childhood cancer. I feel blessed to be a teammate of all who participates. Thank you for your help."

Vallely and his wife, Karen, lost their 12-year-old daughter, Erin, to pediatric cancer in 1992. He serves as a board member for PCRF and is still heavily involved in planning and execution for Dribble for the Cure, which has seen its UCLA event raise in excess of $100,000 each of the last nine years. PCRF has raised more than $48 million since its establishment in 1982.

“We’re fighting for the future of kids with cancer. We’re helpless if we can’t raise the funds to continue advancing exploration of treatments that are less toxic, more targeted, and improve quality of life,” said Jeri Wilson, Executive Director, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. “Without your support, we could not target key research such as the ones led by Dr. Theodore B. Moore. PCRF believes in collaborations with top institutions and investigators demonstrate the best hope for a cure.”

Upon signing up, registrants will be invited to begin fundraising. This can be done individually or as part of a team. This year’s event will see 100% of fundraising dollars go straight to research. Every $50 raised supports an hour of research and every $25,000 raised makes it possible for a child to participate in a clinical trial that could lead to therapeutic breakthroughs.

Fundraising prizes include a Dribble for the Cure event t-shirt ($150), a UCLA hat ($300), a UCLA crewneck sweatshirt ($750), and a VIP Zoom call with UCLA basketball coaches and student-athletes ($1,500). T-shirts will be mailed in time for the event if the goal is achieved by Sept. 28. The VIP Zoom call is not available to high schoolers in the ninth through 12th grades.

A link to access the PCRF Dribble app, which supports major fitness trackers, will be emailed to registrants Oct. 5. A collective goal of 25,000 miles has been set for the Oct. 6-10 activity challenge, while the virtual “Dribble” event will be completed after four miles to match the distance of the on-campus course. The app will provide unlockable milestones and “live” content featuring UCLA coaches and student-athletes, honorary captains, and more throughout the event.

“We are excited that the 13th annual Dribble for the Cure, a much-anticipated event among our patients, families, and friends will continue to take place in a new virtual platform,” said Dr. Theodore B. Moore, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. “Even in these challenging and uncertain times, we are sure that the support and care our patients require is needed now more than ever. The support that the Dribble for the Cure provides toward pediatric cancer research allows our team to discover and develop novel treatments for a disease that enables children with cancer to live long and fulfilling lives.

“Our partnership with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, UCLA Athletics, the Bruin women’s and men’s basketball teams, and especially the participants who join us year after year gives us hope for a future in which our patients survive and thrive.”

For information regarding sponsorship opportunities, promotion, and planning of the event or to register by phone, call (949) 859-6312

Dribble for the Cure Goes Virtual for 2020

PCRF Dribble App will provide an interactive experience for Oct. 6-10 activity challenge, Oct. 11 event.