Marla Milone, a Villanova University School of Business graduate from 2016, has raised nearly $225,000 for cancer research. The money was raised at a recent Victory Gala in support of the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
The V Foundation is a nonprofit organization that spearheads fundraising for cancer research. The Foundation is comprised of more than 1,300 research grants and has raised around $400 million since its establishment in 1993. It was founded by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, North Carolina State University basketball coach, ESPN commentator and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Although Milone had previously heard of the organization, she was determined to become involved after battling cancer herself.
In 2017, as a recent Villanova alumna, Milone lived in New York City. With her degree in Finance, she was working at a company doing investment management funds.
Suddenly, one day, she lost feeling in the left side of her body. She initially brushed this feeling off, and she felt normal again the next day. However, after heeding the advice of her father, she finally scheduled a doctor’s appointment. After a few weeks, Milone endured X-rays, which led to PET and CT scans.
Milone was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She was just 22 years old.
“When I was diagnosed, you kinda are in such a… it’s like a black cloud comes over you,” Milone said. “You don’t really know what’s gonna be next.”
She underwent treatment for almost a year, her doctors prescribing her both chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments.
“Immunotherapy is something new that only targets cancer cells, so it doesn’t go after…any replicating cell. It goes only after the bad cells,” Milone said. “Half of my treatment was that, and it’s because of all this research because they’ve been able to…make such advancements in all of it.”
Milone’s family and friends served as her source of support and positivity throughout her cancer journey.
Since 2018, Milone has been cancer free. She had then hoped to spread positivity toward other people battling cancer, just as she did.
Milone became involved with the V Foundation shortly after. Having grown up playing and loving basketball, Milone attended the New York Athletic Club in 2018 to see Jay Wright, former Villanova men’s basketball coach, receive the Winged Foot Award. The Award recognizes the coaches of teams who have won within the NCAA Division 1 men and women’s basketball tournaments.
Former ESPN president and current V Foundation board member, George Bodenheimer, also attended that event, and he spoke about the V Foundation.
“That’s when I was first really introduced to all the work that the V Foundation was doing, and the first time it became really tangible of where I could actually get involved,” Milone said. “Immediately, when I was sick, I was in a children’s hospital, so I saw all these kids battling cancer and going through the unimaginable, and I just wanted to make a difference with all of that.”
Shortly after, Milone established the Victory Gala with a group of her family, childhood friends and Villanova friends.
“My whole goal of it is just to make it a great night for young professionals to come in, learn about the V Foundation and then raise money for this amazing, game-changing, cancer research,” Milone said. “My goal of that is just to engage the next generation of supporters now, so that they can become passionate about supporting in the future, and so that they can be educated and fully understand the importance of funding cancer research and the incredible work that the V Foundation does.”
The first Gala was in 2019 at the New York Athletic Club. The second one was held in 2022 at the New York Public Library. The most recent Victory Gala was on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at Gotham Hall in New York City, where Milone and her team raised nearly $80,000.
Collectively, the three Victory Galas have raised about $225,000 for the V Foundation.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic halted some momentum for the Victory Galas. It prevented them from occurring annually. However, after the significant funding in 2024, Milone is optimistic to keep the fundraising efforts high.
“Around $45,000 we made in our silent auction, which is really incredible,” Milone said. “We did not do that in our last event.”
The date for the next Victory Gala has not yet been decided upon, but planning is underway.
Milone and her team will continue to provide hope and positivity for cancer patients through their work with the V Foundation.
“I want to be able to help others that are going through this, and feel so lost, and have so much uncertainty, I want to be able to give them a bit of certainty,” Milone said. “So, I really have been so honored to be part of the V Foundation.”
To learn more about Marla’s Story and the V Foundation, please visit: https://www.v.org/story/inspiring-the-next-generation-of-v-foundation-supporters/
