This past weekend it was an honor for CFG, INC to co-sponsor Celebrity Fight Night http://www.celebrityfightnight.org hosted by Muhammad Ali and his lovely wife Lonnie.  The event took place at a beautiful resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Celebrity Fight Night is recognized as one of the nation's elite charity events. It is a star-studded evening presented in honor of the featured guest, Muhammad Ali. Throughout Celebrity Fight Night's thirteen year history over $45 million has been raised with the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute as the primary beneficiary. Numerous other charities have benefited and countless lives have been changed thanks to the tremendous generosity of the supporters who attend.

Activities of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center are funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations.  The growth and success of the Center over the past year is due in part to the Celebrity Fight Night Foundation.
The master of ceremonies for the event was Reba McEntire.  She honored me with a wonderful conversation.  She was delightful as always. The honorees this year included Kevin Costner, Clive Davis, and LaDainian Tomlinson. 
 John Mellencamp, Dionne Warwick, and Sinbad provided the live entertainment.

This was an extraordinary event, and it was a pleasure to see our old friends, San Diego Charger, Shawne Merriman and Phoenix Sun future Hall of Fame center Shaquille Oneil.  The cause is always in need of more support, and all athletes should join the fight.
It was an honor to enjoy the company of these industry giants, and listen to them speak about Muhammad Ali and his accomplishments, both in the ring and for charity.

In a heartfelt speech, Kevin Costner spoke about how the charming, however self-absorbed Ali divided his house when he was a child.  Costner’s father would ask “Why can’t he be more humble and keep his mouth shut?”  Costner added that at the time, his father felt Ali’s refusal to serve in Vietnam was disrespectful of his nation and a slap in the face of the soldiers who did serve. 

The Oscar winner went along to add that his father, and indeed most of the world soon realized an important point. Ali’s response to the war was that it was an affront to his religious beliefs, and that he felt that to die for a nation that considered him a second class citizen if not worse, was indicative of the lack of civil rights available to African Americans at the time.
The courage required, Costner added, for Ali to stand his ground, is heroic. That courage honors the ideals that the brave men who did serve in the military were fighting for in the first place.

Costner went on to reference the classic film Spartacus, in which the men who followed the title character all raise their hands to identify themselves as Spartacus in an effort to save him from certain death.  His analogy makes the point that Muhammad Ali stands for what is right and just in the hearts of all men. 
What this event reminded all in attendance was that in times of doubt, loss or pain, we can look internally to find the strength that exists in our hearts.  We can all tap into this same, natural-born human resolve. 

At our best every man, woman and child on earth can stand and say:
“I, am Muhammad Ali.”