Dick Vitales fight against cancer is nearing a major milestone. Vitale expects to top the $10 million mark with his eighth annual celebrity gala in Sarasota, Fla., on Friday night. The event will honour former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden, former Connecticut basketball coach/cancer survivor Jim Calhoun, and Kansas basketball coach Bill Self. The gala raises money for the V Foundation in honour of the late Jim Valvano. Net proceeds go to pediatric cancer research. "It should be really, really special," Vitale said in a phone interview Thursday. "It has gone way beyond my dreams." More than 70 sports celebrities are scheduled to attend, including Florida coach Billy Donovan, Indiana coach Tom Crean, Kentucky coach John Calipari, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, Miami coach Jim Larranaga, Villanova coach Jay Wright and Florida State coaches Jimbo Fisher (football) and Leonard Hamilton (basketball). The guest list also includes former major leaguer Gary Sheffield, former NFL running back Ricky Watters and 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke. Vitale has a few special guests planned, too. He will have Michigan State junior forward Adreian Payne and his friend, 7-year-old Lacey Holsworth, in attendance. Holsworth has cancer and is scheduled to have a bone-marrow transplant soon. She has become close with Payne over the past year and met Vitale before the Indiana-Michigan State game in February. "She just got clearance to join us," Vitale said. "I guarantee there wont be a dry eye in the place." Vitale also is flying in the parents of Justin Miller, who died April 3, less than three weeks shy of his 21st birthday and after a five-year battle with epithelioid sarcoma. Miller continued playing the drums even after having his dominant arm amputated in 2011. Vitale will present Millers parents with a grant in Justins name for $250,000. "Nothing pleases me more now," Vitale said. "Im selfish. I have five grandchildren. Im about to go watch the kids play tennis. Thats what every kid should be doing. Instead, we have so many doing chemo and radiation. Its just not fair." In total, Vitale will have 11 families of cancer survivors, including eight of the survivors, on hand at the Ritz-Carlton. Everyone there should witness a record-breaking night for the event, topping the $1.8 million raised last year and reaching the $10 million milestone over eight years. "People have been great to me," Vitale said. "Ive got goose-bumps thinking about it."Ryan Kalil Youth Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Brian Burns Panthers Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-christian-mccaffrey-blue-jersey/ . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Jordan Scarlett Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. Donte Jackson Jersey . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3.CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Miami threw two defensive starters off its football team Saturday for NCAA violations, after a months-long probe into whether players had access to luxury rental cars.Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad and linebacker Jermaine Grace were permanently dismissed from the team, though the school is offering to continue providing financial aid until they graduate from Miami. It was not immediately clear if either player is planning to remain at the university, which remains on probation over the actions of a former rogue booster.Another linebacker, Juwon Young, left Miami several weeks ago and was part of the same rental-car probe. He now is on Marshalls roster.The fallout from the investigation will have a major impact on the Hurricanes, who open their season Sept. 3 against Florida A&M -- as it cost Miami its three leading tacklers from a year ago. Grace had 79 tackles, Young had 57. Muhammmad, who missed the entire 2014 season because of a university-imposed suspension after an off-campus fight, had 54 and led the Hurricanes in both tackles for loss (8.dddddddddddd5) and sacks (5).The decision was made in consultation with outside counsel and after discussions with the NCAA enforcement staff, the university said in a statement. As no staff members or boosters were involved in the violations, the program will not be subject to sanctions and, at this time, the University deems this matter closed.Declaring the matter closed means that wide receiver Stacy Coley, who was also investigated as part of the rental-car probe, was apparently not found to have done anything meriting sanctions.Miami coach Mark Richt is not scheduled to address reporters again until Tuesday. ' ' '