2nd Annual
Jonathan Bankhead
SMASH CANCER
Memorial Tournament
The Rockbridge Club
May 13-15, 2022
The Jonathan Bankhead Memorial Smash Cancer tennis tournament was started in 2021 and dedicated to the memory of a well-loved man. The inaugural tournament committee raised $30,000 to assist the families of those going through cancer treatment at South Carolina Oncology Associates.
Every sponsor dollar and all donations are contributed to SCOA Cares Foundation, which provides financial assistance to cancer patients receiving treatment at SCOA, the only comprehensive cancer treatment center in South Carolina. Jonathan was a patient at SCOA and lost his 15-month battle against glioblastoma January 12, 2020.
The annual event is underwritten by player tournament registration fees and a grant from the City of Forest Acres. Each year, the tournament will recognize someone from the community who has battled cancer.
The 2022 tournament remembers Bill Besley, a Columbia native, who died in 2018 after a four-year battle with lung cancer. Bill played his college tennis at Presbyterian College in the mid-1980s and was twice named an All-American. A practicing attorney, Bill was active in his church and in the community.
Most answers to questions can be found on the registration link above. For any other questions related to the tournament or registration, please contact Brian Reeves, Director of Tennis at Rockbridge and the Smash Cancer event organizer.
To become a 2022 sponsor or to donate, please contact a member of the tournament’s volunteer committee: Eugenia Hardwick, Don Jeter, Sheryl McAlister, John Misenheimer, Justin Peterson, Jim Rhodes, Bonner Roche, Helen Russell or Grant Willard. Visit the Sponsorship page for donor levels and more information.
Check out photos from the 2021 inaugural Jonathan Bankhead Smash Cancer Tournament at the Rockbridge Club.
Vanessa Bankhead addresses the crowd at the Inaugural Smash Cancer Tournament