A Conversation With a Living Legend®
Houston: Jack Nicklaus-Jim Nantz
More than 800 MD Anderson supporters and Jack Nicklaus fans welcomed the golf pro, businessman and philanthropist for A Conversation With a Living Legend® Oct. 19 at the Hilton Americas-Houston. Emmy-winning sports personality Jim Nantz interviewed Nicklaus, who has attained 118 professional tournament victories worldwide as well as a record 18 professional major championship titles. The fourth annual event raised more than $472,000 for MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital. Event chairs Katie and Harry Cullen Jr., Rose and Harry Cullen Sr. and Kathy and Jody McCord contributed greatly to the fundraising efforts, along with honorary chairs Ginger and Jack Blanton, Kelli and Eddy Blanton and Leslie and Jack Blanton Jr. Teen pediatric patient and golf enthusiast James Ragan emceed the event. He brought audience members to tears and to their feet, rewarding Ragan with a standing ovation as he shared his story and love for MD Anderson, golf, Nicklaus and Nantz.
San Antonio: Vicente Fox-Tom Johnson
A Conversation With a Living Legend® made its debut in San Antonio Oct. 29 with more than 650 guests at the Grand Hyatt hotel. The event honored Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, and benefited the Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program at MD Anderson. Fox sat down for a one-on-one interview with Tom Johnson, MD Anderson Board of Visitors member and former president and CEO of CNN. He discussed the importance of education, jobs and health care in efforts to boost quality of life for citizens of Mexico. Thanks in part to the fundraising efforts of event chairs Kim and Clyde Johnson IV and Paula and Clyde Johnson III, along with honorary chairs Peggy and Lowry Mays and Charline and Red McCombs, the inaugural event raised more than $197,000.
Dallas: Bob Schieffer-Tom Brokaw
Event chair Gale Sliger and honorary chairs Margot and Ross Perot helped orchestrate the 21st annual A Conversation With a Living Legend® in Dallas. More than 800 guests made their way to the Hilton Anatole Dec. 13 to partake of a slice of journalism heaven as renowned journalist and NBC correspondent Tom Brokow interviewed Bob Schieffer, legendary CBS Washington correspondent and anchor of Face the Nation. To guests’ delight and surprise, Schieffer broke into song with his band, Honky Tonk Confidential. A live auction included an opportunity for four to attend a broadcast of Face the Nation and brunch with Schieffer and wife Pat, with hotel and first-class airfare provided by American Airlines. Lenise Stephenson was the lucky winner with a bid of $35,000. With proceeds from the auction and a last-minute donation by the Schieffers, the event raised more than $1 million and set a fundraising record for the Dallas event.
