Spotlight on Celebrity Fight Night XV

Celebrity Fight Night XV Raises $6.6M

FOREST WHITAKER, MICHAEL PHELPS, KURT WARNER AND STEWART RAHR HONORED AT MUHAMMAD ALI'S CELEBRITY FIGHT NIGHT XV
JON BON JOVI WAS HEADLINE PERFORMER
Photos by Glenda S. Paradee

PHOENIX, AZ. (March 30, 2009) - Oscar® winning actor, director and producer Forest Whitaker was presented with the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Entertainer Award during Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XV on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. The actor delivered a moving acceptance speech after being presented with the award by renowned actor and friend John Corbett. 14-time Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer, Michael Phelps, received the Sports Achievement Award and two-time NFL MVP and current Arizona Cardinals quarterback, Kurt Warner, was presented with the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Sports Leadership Award. The night hit a high note when businessman and philanthropist Stewart Rahr received the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Entrepreneur Award and surprised the crowd by donating $2 million to the organization during his acceptance speech. GRAMMY® Award winning leading lady of country music, Reba McEntire returned for her fourth year as emcee.

The packed crowd was treated to a host of performances under the direction of multiple GRAMMY® Award winning musical director David Foster including former American Idol contestant Michael Johns, Roy Firestone, Charice, Lucia Micarelli, William Joseph, and Ethan Bortnick. Josh Groban and Jordin Sparks surprised the audience with a duet performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and guests received a very special treat when honoree Forest Whitaker came to the stage and sang "Summertime" after a generous bidder offered $100,000 to the organization to hear him sing. GRAMMY® Award winning rock legend Jon Bon Jovi closed out the show with a five song set that included his hits "Livin' on a Prayer," "Wanted Dead or Alive," and "Who Says You Can't Go Home". Arizona native and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks also entertained the crowd by headlining a performance at the after-party immediately following the event. 

The event also featured cocktails, a silent auction, an elegant dinner and an exciting live auction featuring one-of-a-kind luxury items. The live auction featured items such as dinner at Reba

McEntire's Beverly Hills, CA home which went for $600,000 - two bidders paid $300,000 each, dinner with Josh Groban in Beverly Hills which was purchased by 3 people for $125,000 each, a one-of-a-kind customized Tony Hawk DUB edition 4WD Jeep Wrangler which went for $100,000, a Mexican yacht vacation which was purchased by Reba McEntire for $60,000, an up close look at moviemaking with Oscar winner Kevin Costner, a visit with Andrea Bocelli in his home and VIP concert in Tuscany and an intimate gourmet dinner with the Lonnie and Muhammad Ali, among other items. Celebrity Fight Night XV raised a total of more than $6.6 million dollars for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, as well numerous other charities.

The Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards are presented annually to acknowledge leaders in the sports, entertainment and business communities who best represent the qualities associated with the Champ and his fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. In recent years Donald Trump, Steve Nash, John Elway, Sharon Stone, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Magic Johnson, Tony Hawk, Billy Crystal, Michael J. Fox, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chevy Chase, Jack Nicklaus, Kevin Costner, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Montana, Barry Bonds, Emmitt Smith, Evander Holyfield, Chris Evert, and Jerry Colangelo have received these awards. Additional award recipients have included Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Luis Gonzalez, Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, and Bob Emfield and Tony Margolis, Founders of Tommy Bahama. Each year dozens of celebrity guests attend the event that has raised nearly $60 million dollars in 15 years.

About Celebrity Fight Night

Celebrity Fight Night Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1994 by Jimmy Walker and has been supporting the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, as well as numerous other charities. www.celebrityfightnight.org.

Sponsors of this year's event included CA, Casino Arizona, Verve! Energy Drink, US Airways, Climatec, Ritz-Carlton Clubs and JetChoice.

Cathy Phillips & Tom Chambers	Cactus Cuties	Karen Williams	Ethan Bortnick
Michael Phelps	William Joseph	Frankie Muniz	Vince Young with wife
Jimmie Walker & Michael Johns	Michael Johns	Reba McEntire	Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire	Kurt Warner with wife	Kurt Warner with wife	Bo Derek
John Corbett	Tracey Bregman	Ken Whisenhunt	Melissa Peterman
Stewart Rahr with wife	John Elway with wife	Charice with David Foster	Josh Groban
David Foster & Josh Groban	Senator Jon Kyl with wife	AZ Governor Jan Brewer	Sam Moore with wife
Jordin Sparks	Forest Whitaker & wife Keisha	Matt Williams with wife	Matt Williams with wife
Jerry Colangelo	Ross Villaverde, Glenda Paradee-Villaverde, Cathy Phillips	Glenda Paradee-Villaverde & Cathy Phillips	Ross & Glenda Villaverde
Jordin Sparks performing at the After-Party	Jordin Sparks	Jordin Sparks	Jordin Sparks

 Thanks For The Music!