Celebrity Fight Night Shines Spotlight on Life, Legacy of Muhammad Ali
Stars and athletes from around the country gathered at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge on March 18 for Celebrity Fight Night XXIII. The star-studded affair honored the life of Muhammad Ali. Actor and philanthropist Harrison Ford and Italian fashion designer Stefano Ricci received the 2017 Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards.
The black-tie event featured a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, and dinner. The live auction featured a trip to the brink of space in an aircraft over Moscow; an NBA All-Star Experience including dinner with Larry Fitzgerald, Charles Barkley and Jerry Colangelo; a red-carpet world premiere experience at Harrison Ford’s next film Blade Runner 2049; a getaway at the Caribbean estate Villa Anacaona; a golf weekend with Alice Cooper in Hawaii; whitewater rafting with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Chile; and more. The two highest selling live auction items of the evening were a dinner with Reba McEntire at her private residence in Nashville and dinner with Sharon Stone and friends John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
Jimmy Walker, Celebrity Fight Night founder and chairman, presented a surprise gift to Lonnie Ali, who was joined on stage by her grandson, Jacob Wertheimer. Wertheimer spoke about his grandfather’s legacy and carrying on his work in the fight against Parkinson’s Disease. Reba McEntire, who returned for her 12th year as emcee, read a letter from Ali’s friend Billy Crystal, who was unable to attend.
Bob Parsons, longtime supporter of Celebrity Fight Night, announced the establishment of the Lonnie Ali Legacy Care Program. The program is a joint effort of Celebrity Fight Night and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center to provide the same kind of palliative care that Ali received along with a development of a new tele-medicine program for patients and their caregivers.
Songwriter and producer David Foster returned for his 18th consecutive year as the evening’s musical director. Starting with the national anthem, sung by Amelia DeMilo, the entertainment continued throughout the evening, including pianist William Joseph and violinist Caroline Campbell with a classical rendition of “Kashmir,” and performances by Dennis Quaid and his band The Sharks as well as The Shadowboxers. Reba McEntire, Brooks and Dunn, Brian McKnight, Colbie Caillat and Sam Moore sang some crowd favorites, and Mike Love ended the night with classic Beach Boys hits.
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Honorees Harrison Ford and Stefano Ricci; Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Jimmy Walker and Sharon Stone; former professional boxer Laila Ali
Ronnie Dunn, Reba McEntire and Kix Brooks
