Game to take place on one year anniversary of Ali’s passing

Festival to run through July 15 with nearly 70 community events planned  

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (April 4, 2017) — A six-weeklong, citywide, summer “I Am Ali” Festival will kick off on Saturday, June 3^rd, the first anniversary of Muhammad Ali’s passing, with an “Ali Appreciation Night” at Slugger Field. The Louisville Bats—the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate—will be wearing Ali-themed jerseys commemorating The Greatest. Throughout the evening, fans will be treated with special Ali tributes, guests, and events that honor the life and legacy of Louisville’s hometown hero, who passed away last year in Phoenix at the age of 74. In addition, the first 2,000 fans in the stadium that evening will receive a free Bats logo hat in honor of Muhammad Ali. The jerseys will be auctioned off online following the June 3^rd game, with all proceeds going to the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville. Tickets are still available for Muhammad Ali Appreciation Night and can be purchased by calling the Bats Ticket Office at 1-855-228-8497, or online at http://atmilb.com/2j4Phqx. This is event is expected to be a sell-out.

The “I Am Ali” Festival will continue for six weeks with events taking place at the Muhammad Ali Center and throughout the city, and each week will highlight one of Muhammad Ali’s “six core principles” of Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Respect, Giving, and Spirituality.  Also incorporated into the citywide festival, will be two girls’ basketball tournament events—the Run 4 Roses Basketball Classic and Battle in the Boro—to  to take place at the Kentucky Exposition Center—bringing in to the city approximately 15,000-plus female athletes, along with their families.

Festival partners, in addition to the Louisville Bats, are: The Muhammad Ali Center, the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of Louisville, Kentucky Exposition Center, and Ohiobasketball.com. Community “ambassadors” across Louisville will fill each of the six weeks with events, including movies, special exhibitions, butterfly releases, festivals, walks and more.

“Louisville continues to see an increase in tourists who are interested in experiencing Ali-related landmarks such as the Muhammad Ali Center, the Champ’s boyhood home, his gravesite at Cave Hill Cemetery, and others,” said Karen Williams, President and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We believe the ‘I Am Ali’ Festival will be the perfect time to draw more attention to Ali’s legacy. We’re grateful for the participation of our many local attractions, hotels and restaurants who are preparing for events, activities, and discounts during the six weeks of celebration.”

 “The outpouring of love and respect that the Ali Center and the entire city witnessed last year following Muhammad’s passing was incredible,” said Donald Lassere, President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center. “I am confident that people will want to come together again to honor their champion and to continue to celebrate the impact Muhammad had on them, and the world. This year’s festival will provide another opportunity to introduce a new generation to his legendary life, and the six core principles that fueled it.”

A complete list of “I Am Ali” festival events is available at www.gotolouisville.com/ali. For events taking place at the Muhammad Ali Center, go to www.alicenter.org .

About the Muhammad Ali Center

The Muhammad Ali Center, a 501(c)3 corporation, was co-founded by Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The international cultural center promotes the Six Core Principles of Muhammad Ali (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality) in ways that inspire personal and global greatness and provides programming and events around the focus areas of education, gender equity, and global citizenship. Its newest initiative, Generation Ali, fosters a new generation of leaders to contribute positively to their communities and to change the world for the better. The Center’s headquarters also contains an award-winning museum experience. For more information, please visit www.alicenter.org.

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Contact:   Jeanie Kahnke
Muhammad Ali Center
(502) 992-5301
jkahnke@alicenter.org