Dominic Colavito's Never Give Up Softball Tournament

In 1995, Dominic Colavito was fighting for his life after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. Moved to hospice care, he said his final goodbyes to his friends and family.

“A few things always stayed with me throughout, which were to have a positive attitude, accept support, trust in my doctors and the treatment and, most importantly,  Never Give Up,” Dominic said about his battle against cancer.

Dominic often turned to Jim Valvano’s 1993 ESPY speech for motivation. He quickly developed a passion for the V Foundation and the mission of funding cancer research. When Dominic miraculously beat his cancer, he chose to fight this disease on a different level…by raising funds for the V Foundation. After much thought and outreach to his friends and family, the Never Give Up Softball Tournament was born. Held in Meriden, C.T., the tournament hosts 28 teams with more than 60 games over the course of a weekend. Dominic describes it as a “large family picnic for a great cause.” Over the years, the Never Give Up Softball Tournament has raised over $300,000 for cancer research, and Dominic continues to thrive!