Keep Memory Alive's 16th Annual "Power of Love Gala" Honors Muhammad Ali With 70th Birthday Celebration

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  In its bid to knock out memory disorders, Keep Memory Alive will turn up the heat at its 16th annual Power of Love Gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, as it celebrates the life and legacy of "The Greatest™," Muhammad Ali, while raising funds in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center.  Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime celebrity-filled fundraising event are on sale now.

On Feb. 18, Keep Memory Alive, the fundraising arm of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, will transform the MGM Grand Garden Arena into a 70th birthday celebration for Ali designed to honor the boxing legend's contribution to the world and raise awareness for Alzheimer's, Huntington's, ALS, and Parkinson's, the disease "The Champ" has been battling since 1984.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health's work toward enhanced treatments and research of neurocognitive disorders and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky.

Performers and celebrity supporters slated to appear at the celebration include Lenny Kravitz, Anthony Hopkins, John Legend, Cee Lo Green, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Brad Garrett, Kelly Rowland, James Gandolfini, and Sammy Hagar.  Boxing icons scheduled to attend the celebration include Sugar Ray Leonard, Ken Norton, Tommy "Hitman" Hearns, Roberto Duran, Angelo Dundee, and Leon Spinks. Even more big names from the entertainment and sports worlds will be added to the line up as the event nears.

"This year's Power of Love Gala will bring attention and funds to the important work being done at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health on a whole new scale," said Larry Ruvo, Chairman, Keep Memory Alive. "We're excited to have the opportunity to shed light on the fight to knock out neurocognitive disorders while celebrating the life and ongoing contributions of the legend, Muhammad Ali."

In keeping with its 16-year history, the Power of Love Gala will showcase a celebrity-chef-packed dinner and one-of-a-kind live and silent auction items, but this year, the evening will also include a birthday celebration for Ali, featuring live performances and heartfelt tributes from some of the world's hottest entertainers and sports icons. ABC will also televise the event nationally on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. PST.

The gala's celebration for Ali aligns with the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health's recent launch of a landmark study examining the long-term brain health of professional fighters.  Aiming to improve the safety and health of fighters, the study will help determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, along with other tests, can detect subtle changes in brain health that correlate with impaired thinking and functioning.  Researchers hope the information uncovered by this research will eventually result in better ways to prevent permanent brain injury in not only fighters, but also in others who may suffer from brain trauma.

"We are thrilled to bring together some of the biggest entertainers, sports figures and celebrities in the world to salute Muhammad on this monumental evening.  Again, the People's Champion is raising his fists high to support and bring awareness to these important organizations," said Kraig Fox, Chief Operating Officer of CKX, Inc.

Tickets for the gala are on sale now at keepmemoryalive.org or by calling 702-263-9797.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals and 18 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and opening in 2013, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 167,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org/.  Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

About Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health:

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health provides state-of-the-art care for cognitive disorders and for the family members of those who suffer from them. The physicians and staff at the Center for Brain Health continuously work towards the development of early diagnosis and the advancement of knowledge concerning mild cognitive disorders, which could one day delay or prevent their onset.  Patients receive expert diagnosis and treatment at the Center for Brain Health, which offers a multidisciplinary patient-focused approach to diagnosis and treatment, promoting collaboration across all care providers, offering patients a complete continuum of care and infusing education and research into all that it does. The facility, designed by Frank Gehry, houses clinical space, a diagnostic center, neuroimaging rooms, physician offices, laboratories devoted to clinical research and the Keep Memory Alive Event Center.  For more information, visit www.clevelandclinic.org/brainhealth.

About Keep Memory Alive:

Keep Memory Alive, whose mission is to provide enhanced treatment and ultimately cures for patients and their families suffering from neurocognitive disorders, raises awareness and funds in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. By supporting Keep Memory Alive and its fight against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, ALS and memory disorders of all kinds, we can ensure progress towards better treatments and ultimately cures will occur in Las Vegas.  For additional information call (702) 263-9797 or visit www.keepmemoryalive.org.

About The Muhammad Ali Center:

The Muhammad Ali Center is a cultural attraction and international education center that is inspired by the ideals of Muhammad Ali. The Center serves as the global hub for championing the social significance of Muhammad Ali; its experience incorporates as organizing elements, six prevailing core values of Ali's life: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spirituality. Much more than a place to tell the story of one man's incredible 70-year journey, the Muhammad Ali Center reaches beyond its physical walls to fulfill its mission. In 2012, the Center's activities will ensure that the rising generation understands and actively adopts Ali's core values to create a powerful new movement: Generation Ali. For more information, please call (502) 584-9254 or visit www.alicenter.org.

About CKX, Inc.

CKX, Inc. is engaged in the ownership, development and commercial utilization of globally recognized entertainment content. The Company's current properties include the rights to the name, image and likeness of Muhammad Ali and Elvis Presley, the operations of Graceland, and proprietary rights to the IDOLS and So You Think You Can Dance television brands, including the American Idol series in the United States and local adaptations of the IDOLS and So You Think You Can Dance television show formats which, collectively, air in more than 100 countries. For information about Muhammad Ali Enterprises, visit www.ali.com. 

Contacts:
Megan F. Pruce, Cleveland Clinic, [email protected], 216-445-7452
Kate Whiteley, Kirvin Doak PR, [email protected], 702-737-3100
Stephanie Chavez, Kirvin Doak PR, [email protected], 702-737-3100

SOURCE Cleveland Clinic