Boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night XVII was an astounding success on March 19 in Phoenix, and helped to raise over $6.6 million to benefit the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center. The star studded event has now raised a staggering total of over $70 million over its 17 year history.
This year’s Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix brought a broad mix of celebrities, sports athletes and VIP donors to the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, for a night to remember. On hand were (just to name a few) stunning race car driver Danica Patrick, actor Billy Crystal, the top 11 finalists from this season’s American Idol television show (who performed an incredible Michael Jackson medley), Rob Thomas, Bret Michaels, Kevin Costner and Halle Berry.
The annual event has brought together people from all walks of life for a night in honor of Muhammad Ali, with incredible live auction items as well as musical performances from the best in the business. This year was one of the best in the event’s history, with auctions such as a private dinner with country music star and actress Reba McEntire at her Beverly Hills home which went for $800,000, a dinner in Los Angeles with Billy Crystal and Limitless star Robert De Niro (a great movie which is out now!) which sold for $400,000, and a one week stay on Eustatia Island, a private island located off the coast of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands!
Halle Berry, Academy Award winning star of Swordfish and Monster’s Ball, received the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Entertainer Award, and also a hug and a kiss from the legendary pugilist. Former NBA and NFL owner Red McCombs received the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Humanitarian Award, and Cristie Kerr, the top ranked women’s golfer in the world, received the Sports Achievement Award. Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons received the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Entrepreneur Award, and Parsons himself donated $1,000,000 to the organization as well as purchased over $1,000,000 in auction items at the event.
Gorgeous former American Idol winner and Grammy award winning singer Kelly Clarkson closed out the incredible evening with a multiple song performance that brought the house down. “I had such an amazing weekend! I got the chance to be a part of Fight Night in Arizona and I had such a great time! I can’t wait to come back next year! I made some new friends with some big hearts and it was just a very inspiring weekend. Please find a few charities and/or causes and give your time, heart and/or money because we are all so blessed even when we think we’re not,” the 28 year old singer said of the event.
All of us here at Positively Celebrity are amazed at the amount of donations that the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night event has brought in over the years, and can’t wait to see what stars will strut their stuff on the red carpet in Phoenix next year!
For more information on the event, please visit www.celebrityfightnight.org
Be sure to check back for more of the latest celebrity news and features from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!
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