during the red carpet at Celebrity Fight Night inside JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa on March 10, 2018, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Photo: Patrick Breen/The Republic)
The fight continues.
That message was delivered over and over again Saturday night at the 24th annual Celebrity Fight Night charity fundraising gala at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix.
The event raises money for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute and other charities.
Celebrities involved, and everyone else who bought a ticket or bid on an auction item, are committed to funding research into finding a cure for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, dementia and other neurological diseases and other causes.
Not even the death of Muhammad Ali, the biggest celebrity to be associated with the star-studded night, has slowed the momentum of the charity event. Saturday night’s Celebrity Fight Night was the second since Ali’s death in 2016.
Remembering the heavyweight boxing legend remains an integral part of the gala.
‘He’s still here in spirit’
Celebrities who were long-time personal friends of Ali such as comedian Billy Crystal, Motown legend Smokey Robinson or former NFL kicker Nick Lowery, a frequent attendee, spoke of carrying on Ali’s legacy.
“He’s still here in spirit,” Lowery said. “It’s incumbent upon us who are still here to take the baton and carry on.”
Lonnie Ali, the wife of the boxing champion, presented the Unsung Hero Award named for her husband to Jonathan Smith and Tom McGrath for their selfless actions during the mass shooting in Las Vegas last year.
Smith was shot in the neck while helping get others to safety during that tragic event. McGrath, an off-duty police officer from San Diego, helped get Smith to safety after he was shot.
Journalist Maria Shriver, another honoree, complimented the organization behind fight night for including Alzheimer’s Disease in its focus. She called the disease the most complex and expensive medical challenge our society would face.
“It’s important that an event called Fight Night is involved in the fight against this Goliath of diseases,” Shriver said.
Music icons perform for a cause
In addition to the award presentations and the fundraising auction, the evening included a performance by an impressive lineup of musicians, including rock icon Steven Tyler.
But the glitz and glam of the evening didn’t overshadow the true purpose behind the gathering.
Singer Brian McKnight, a regular attendee and performer at the event, shared his thoughts on a future when there will no longer be a need for a fight night.
“I hope we can one day get to the point where it’s the last one,” McKnight said the charity event. “I hope it will be the last one because we’ve found a cure and we don’t need to do this any more.”
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