"Power of Love Gala" In Las Vegas Honoring Muhammad Ali's 70th Birthday Adds More Top Acts and Celebrities to Its Lineup

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The cast of entertainers and sports icons slated to appear at Keep Memory Alive's 16th annual Power of Love Gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Las Vegas keeps getting bigger every day, though only a limited number of tickets remain for the celebrity-filled fundraiser. 

Fans wishing to see what's happening inside this one-of-a-kind 70^th birthday celebration for Muhammad Ali -- which will raise funds in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center -- will also be able to tune in to "Ali 70th From Las Vegas" on ABC on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. ET and 2 p.m. PT. It will re-air on ESPN2 later that same night at 10 p.m. ET.

The lineup for the night includes performances and heartfelt tributes from some of the world's hottest entertainers and sports icons. The list of performers and celebrity supporters slated to appear at the celebration includes Stevie Wonder, Samuel L. Jackson, David Beckham, Larry King, Ken Jeong, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Common, Lenny Kravitz, Sean Combs, Anthony Hopkins, John Legend, Chris Cornell, Cee Lo Green, Joe Perry, Slash, Terrence Howard, David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Jim Brown, Randy Couture, Brad Garrett, Kelly Rowland, Dave Koz, Robin Leach, James Gandolfini, Steve Schirripa, Chazz Palminteri, and Sammy Hagar.  Boxing icons scheduled to attend the celebration include Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and Tommy "Hitman" Hearns. Even more big names from the entertainment and sports worlds will be added to the lineup as the event nears.

Lenny Kravitz is hosting an additional performance with special guest Raphael Saadiq, as well as scheduled appearances by Lil Jon, Cee Lo Green, Kid Cudi and Slash, on Sunday, Feb. 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Keep Memory Alive and the Muhammad Ali Center.  Tickets for this event are still available at ticketmaster.com, mgmgrand.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.

The Power of Love Gala is being produced by Bill Edwards Presents Inc. and supported by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Muhammad Ali Enterprises and Keep Memory Alive, the fundraising arm of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The star-studded celebration for Ali is designed to honor the boxing legend's contribution to the world and raise awareness for Alzheimer's, Huntington's, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's, the disease "The Champ" has been battling since 1984. 

"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."

The event will also include the world-premiere of an inspirational video from 23andMe, a leading personal genetics company, featuring Muhammad and Lonnie Ali discussing their joint efforts to research and cure Parkinson's. Muhammad Ali is one of more than 6,500 individuals already participating in 23andMe's research into the genetic basis of Parkinson's Disease.

"We are grateful to have had the chance to work with Muhammad and Lonnie to create this video. They are passionate about their crusade against Parkinson's and it is an honor to have them in the 23andMe Parkinson's community," said Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe. "We are committed to making valuable genetic discoveries that will impact the lives of Parkinson's patients."

In keeping with its 16-year history, the Power of Love Gala will showcase a celebrity-chef-packed dinner featuring Tom Colicchio, Scott Conant, Michael Mina and Wolfgang Puck, a Dom Perignon reception and one-of-a-kind live and silent auction items, including a spectacular vacation of a lifetime for two couples on David Copperfield's private island in the Bahamas.

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.

A limited number of tickets for the gala still remain by visiting 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.  For more information about CKx, Inc., visit its corporate website at www.ckx.com.

About Bill Edwards Presents Inc.

A premier live entertainment company, Bill Edwards Presents Inc. has been producing world-class attractions for more than a decade.  The company has established itself through producing shows and events in a variety of venues - including festivals, theaters, casinos-resorts, performing arts centers and arenas.  Known for its reputation of aligning with award winning talent, Bill Edwards Presents is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. www.billedwardspresents.com

About The LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With approximately 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and more than 10.6 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.VisitLasVegas.com.

About 23andMe

23andMe, Inc. is a leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal Genome Service^® enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. 23andMe, Inc., was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. More information is available at www.23andme.com.

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

SOURCE Cleveland Clinic