Retired coach fights for cancer patients
Andy Talley, who formerly guided Villanova, tells story of bone marrow foundation to Exton chamber members at awards event featuring 2 area businesswomen
For Andy Talley, being the longtime football coach for the Villanova Wildcats taught him a lot about the principles of leadership.
He is taking those lessons and applying them to his newest passion: fighting cancer.
Talley was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner awards event held at the Downingtown Country Club. Talley, along with the award winners for small business and community service leaders of the year, were the highlight of the chamber event.
“The need right now for committed bone marrow donors is great,” said Talley, who won more than 250 games during his head coaching career,
which spanned 37 seasons overall and 32 years at Villanova. “The need is staggering. Cancer patients across the world need our help. We can do something about it. We are little but mighty. What we do is big. We love saving lives.”
Talley began the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation, an organization that matches college football players with cancer patients in need of bone marrow transplants. To date, there have been 88,400 registered bone marrow donors and 400 transplants through the foundation’s efforts.
Talley first became interested in helping cancer patients one day in 1992 while listening to a health segment on a radio program. The program explained the severe need for bone marrow transplants and the lack of donors, especially among minorities.
Talley realized he had access to 90 healthy football players, and began his quest. He promoted the importance of marrow donor registration and the need to add donors to his team and began working with other college football teams as well. Talley noted he currently works with 80 colleges teams across the country getting bone marrow donors.
“We have pretty much the whole Ivy League. We have the whole CAA conference, Richmond, James Madison, William and Mary, Villanova (and) a lot of small colleges, West Chester University and Ursinus College,” he said.
The chamber handed out the Harold Martin Business Leadership award and the Small Business of the Year award during the evening.
“Because we are a small business chamber, and a lot of industry is small business, it’s really important to honor people who not only do well in business but give back to the community,” said Exton Region Chamber President Laurie Kerkering.
Winner of the Harold Martin Business Leadership Award went to Diana Mattingly, branch manager at First Resource Bank in Exton.
Mattingly is a member on the Exton Chamber Board of Directors, and has volunteered at several non-profit groups in the area. She has also led multiple fund-raisers at the bank that brought in $5,000 in donations to local charities. Mattingly also secured $100,000 in donations through different initiatives at First Resource Bank.
“I am so honored and incredibly humbled to receive this award,” Mattingly said. “I’ve been a member of the Exton Chamber for 11 years. I served on various committees and joined the board of directors a few years ago. I do everything I can for the chamber because they have done so much for me. To be receiving this award tonight is just unbelievable.”
Owner of Faunbrook Bed and Breakfast Lori Zytkowicz received the Small Business of the Year award. Zytkowicz said it was great to be recognized among the small businesses in the community.
“I was really surprised and I’m honored. People don’t realize the economic impact of small business. This is a great area. There’s a nice little hometown feel but with a lot happening. That was my dream; to open a B&B in a small town and make a difference. Now I feel like have, 10 years in,” Zytkowicz said.