Inaugural Cancer Fundraiser Welcomes Franco Harris and Larry King
MD Anderson News Release October 11, 2011
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Fundraising Luncheon Showcases Former NFL Player and CNN Anchor
MD Anderson News Release 10/11/11
The inaugural A Conversation With a Living Legend® in Las Vegas, benefiting The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, features football legend Franco Harris as its honoree in an interview with world-renowned CNN anchor Larry King. The Nov. 4 luncheon, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Encore Hotel, marks the popular Living Legend series' first venture to the Las Vegas strip in an effort to raise funds for research and patient care initiatives at MD Anderson.
MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitor member Rosey Park and husband Ray of Cleveland, Ohio, are the chairs of this year's event. In the past two decades, A Conversation With a Living Legend® has raised more than $14 million for cancer care and research at MD Anderson through events in Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, San Antonio and Washington, D.C.
Franco Harris is a legend both on and off the field with a football career that spans more than a decade. It began in 1972 when he was drafted by the National Football League and picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would go on to play 12 consecutive years with the Steelers, spending his 13th and final year in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.
His "Immaculate Reception" in the final seconds of the 1972 American Football Conference playoff game against the Oakland Raiders is considered the greatest individual play in NFL history. In 1990, Harris was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He has received numerous honors including NFL Man of the Year and the American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award. After retiring from the NFL, Harris put his degree in food services and administration from Penn State to use, establishing Super Bakery, a company that promotes kids' health and nutrition. Through this venture he has sponsored many community programs such as the national MS Walk-a-Thon and the Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars. In addition, he served as the chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for eight years under Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey.
Larry King, dubbed the "master of the mic" by Time magazine, is one of the world's most recognizable faces in broadcast. He changed the landscape of cable television with his highly rated talk show "Larry King Live" on CNN, where he spent 25 years hosting before hanging up his nightly suspenders this past December. He is currently hosting four primetime specials for CNN each year. As a domineering force in primetime news programming, King has done more than 50,000 interviews with news makers ranging from politicians and businessmen to celebrities and media moguls.
King is recipient of an Emmy Award, two Peabody Awards, 10 Cable ACE Awards and the prestigious Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism. In addition, he has been inducted into five of the nation's leading broadcasting halls of fame. His charitable works include the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, established in 1988 to provide funding for life saving cardiac procedures for those who otherwise would be unable to due to limited means and no insurance. The organization has raised more than $15 million and provided procedures for more than 1,500 people.
For more information, call 866-262-9029 or email events@mdanderson.org. 10/11/11