By Rubin E. Grant
Anna Slive Harwood is happy that Beyond Blue is back in the month it belongs.
The 2022 event, presented by Medical Properties Trust, will be held Sept. 22 at Protective Life Stadium Club with ESPN’s Laura Rutledge serving as host.
Beyond Blue benefits the Mike Slive Foundation’s effort to raise awareness about prostate cancer and fund cutting-edge research.
Last year, the event wasn’t held until November because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re really excited to be back in September, which is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month,” said Harwood, executive director of the Mike Slive Foundation. “And we’re excited about having it at the Protective Life Stadium Club, which is ideal for it, as a live event.”
Dr. Edward Partridge will be the 2022 Beyond Blue honoree. As a former clinician, past president of the national board of the American Cancer Society, director emeritus and distinguished professor at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, and founding board member of the Mike Slive Foundation, Partridge has dedicated his life work to fighting cancer.
He was instrumental in the creation of the Mike Slive Foundation, the first and only dedicated prostate cancer nonprofit organization in the Southeast. Partridge’s leadership and expertise has continued to guide the foundation’s exponential growth.
Beyond Blue 2022 will feature silent and live auctions, which will include a variety of sports opportunities and travel experiences as well as items such as a collector’s private collection bourbon to bid on.
Among the sports opportunities are tickets to the Southeastern Conference football championship game, the SEC basketball tournament, a trip to Los Angeles for the college football national championship game, tickets to Wimbledon and donated VIP packages from the Sugar, Liberty, Music City and Birmingham bowls football games.
“People have said, ‘You have tickets to Wimbledon? That’s on my bucket list,’’’ Hardwood said.
Some of the other auction items include a trip to Cetona, Italy, dinner at Gianmarco’s and dinner with chef Chris Hastings.
“This is our largest annual fundraiser,” Harwood said. “We want to end prostate cancer and make blue ribbons a thing of the past.”
Common Form of Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer among men and the second most common form of cancer-related death among men.
Harwood’s father, Mike Slive, who was one of the most influential powerbrokers in the history of college athletics and a longtime SEC commissioner, was a prostate cancer survivor. He died in 2018.
“Of course it’s personal,” Harwood said. “Before my father’s death, he realized he could have more of an impact than just in college sports. He could help save men’s lives through the foundation.
“So what Beyond Blue means to me is it’s a fulfillment of my father’s mission and I’m grateful to be a part of that.”
