UConn's Azzi Fudd, Caroline Ducharme make an appearance at sportscaster Dick Vitale's 20th annual gala

UConn stars Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme attended Dick Vitale's 20th annual Gala on Friday night. At the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Florida, the Vitale Gala celebrated raising money and awareness for cancer research.

Fudd and Ducharme represented UConn women's basketball at the event and were also joined by the Huskies' men's basketball coach Dan Hurley.

On Instagram, the Abigail Zittoun Family Foundation shared snippets from the gala featuring the duo, including a photo with Vitale and Abby's parents.

"Thank you @dickiev_espn and @thevfoundation for a wonderful weekend celebrating Abby’s life, her incredible relationship with @uconnwbb and working to cure pediatric cancer. Honored and humbled to have a research grant this year be awarded in Abby’s name," the organization wrote in its caption.

This year's event raised more than $12 million, bringing the total raised in two decades to cross the 100 million mark.

Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme met with several other celebrities at the gala, including former WNBA player Nancy Lieberman, ESPN personality Hannah Storm and TV host Michael Strahan.

They also had the opportunity to meet several young kids, as shown in a post on @azzifuddupdates' Instagram.

Azzi Fudd recalled Caroline Ducharme helping plan a fun surprise for Abby's visit

Abigail 'Abby' Zittoun was a courageous 13-year-old girl who battled cancer for over six years. She developed a profound connection with the UConn women's basketball team, particularly Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers and Carolina Ducharme.

In February, the Huskies played against Butler in the XL Center in honor of Abby. During the postgame press conference, Fudd was asked about a memorable moment when she surprised Abby at her home.

"I can't remember exactly what was going on. I think Abby was already home, her sisters were coming home," Fudd said (at 36:12). "I hadn't seen her in a while, so I asked (Caroline) if we could go over for a surprise visit. And it's always so much fun going over to their house.

"But just the look on her face when we got to surprise her there — it was priceless. Just her smile was so big. And getting to spend just that evening with her, having dinner, hanging out, playing games —just memories that you won't forget."

Abby, who first came into contact with the team via Evina Westbrook during a meet-and-greet event with patients from Connecticut Children's Hospital, died on Oct. 15, 2025.