Muhammad Ali's Fight Night

March 28, 2009 - Phoenix, AZ - The Phoenix night was filled with stars at the annual Muhammad Ali “Celebrity Fight Night”, held at the JW Marriot Desert Ridge Resort and Spa with celebrated guest of honor Muhammad Ali, hosted by the incomparable Reba McIntire.
The Oscar-winning actor/director Forest Whitaker was presented with the “Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Entertainer Award” and spoke intimately about the impact Ali had in his life. “He created a pathway of possibility," Forest Whittaker said, as he spoke affectionately about the former boxing champion.

Stars filled the gala Phoenix event for good cause, bringing in over $52 million that has been raised in association with the Ali Fight Night’s for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute. The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute is a National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence, serving as a resource for Parkinson's disease patients and their families.

According to the National Institutes of Health, at least 500,000 people in the United States suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and approximately 50,000 new cases are reported annually. Despite advances in research and treatment, the incidence of Parkinson’s disease is expected to increase as baby boomers age, making continued research essential to find the cure.

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Forest Whitaker were honored at the event for representing the qualities associated with the great Muhammad Ali and his fight to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.

Among the attendees were Arizona State Representative Cloves Campbell, Fleur De Lis Film Studios President BJ Davis and Starwood VP of Global Finance Eddie Tantoco. US Airways Chairman Doug Parker attended with rock star, Phoenix resident Alice Cooper. Davis and Cooper were neighbors in the late 1970’s in the Hollywood Hills above the rockin’ and rollin’ Sunset Strip.

Phoenix’s own personal, private jets of choice (JetChoice) flew in Jon Bon Jovi and celebrities from across the nation. Phoenix’s own Cardinal football coach, team and Kurt Warner were in attendance with football legends, Super Bowl winners John Elways of the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49’ers MVP Steve Young. Jon Bon Jovi, Charice, Roy Firestone, Michael Johns, Lucia Micarelli, William Joseph and Ethan Bortnick performed for the guests, who were bidding on some one-of-a-kind auction items to support the cause of fighting Parkinson's Disease.

Film and television celebrities lit up the room, including Bo Derek, Jordin Sparks, who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of "American Idol", John Corbett of "Sex in the City" fame, Josh Groban, Olympic Champion Michael Phelps, self-made pharmaceutical billionaire Stewart Rahr, American sports commentator and journalist Roy Firestone, "American Idol" Season 7 contestant Michael Johns, Lucia Micarelli - an American violinist best known for her collaborations with Josh Groban and classic rock band Jethro Tull, Williams Joseph and Ethan Bortni.

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