celebrity fight night foundation
'If we can help one person, it's worth it'

Every year, Jimmy and Nancy Walker, Sean Curry and other members of Celebrity Fight Night Foundation rub elbows with some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports—celebrities like Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Celine Dion, Jim Carrey, Steve Nash and, of course, Muhammad Ali. But celebrity is not what this annual star-studded charity fund-raiser for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow is all about.

“It’s about a lot more than celebrities,” said Jimmy Walker. “If we can help one person, it’s worth it.”

One of the many people helped by Celebrity Fight Night Foundation (CFNF) was on hand to thank Jimmy, Nancy and members of the CFNF staff during a reception at St. Joseph’s on June 26. The reception was held to honor Celebrity Fight Night Foundation for its generous gift to the Pushing Boundaries Capital Campaign, which raised funds for the new Barrow Neuroscience Tower.

During the reception, Parkinson’s patient John Yonushonis shared his story. He described the fear he felt after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s and the feeling of being alone and hopeless. But then, Yonushonis said, he discovered the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, attended an educational class and regained his hope (his remarks follow).

"With the help of the Center and the motivation of my wife, Ann, and family, I found a new direction,” Yonushonis said in thanking the Walkers and CFNF.“I personally feel very humbled by this,” Walker said after hearing Yonushonis’ story. “Nancy and I really do appreciate what the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC) is doing.”

Celebrities at this year’s Celebrity Fight Night included (top) Sharon Stone, Muhammad Ali, Diana Ross, (right) Michael Bublé, and (bottom) Donald Trump.

Linda Hunt, president of St. Joseph’s; Robert Spetzler, MD, director of Barrow; and Mary Jane Crist, CEO of Barrow Neurological Foundation, thanked CFNF for their ongoing support of MAPC. CFNF has contributed more than $12 million to Barrow Neurological Foundation, making it Barrow’s largest donor.

“You allow us to do things we would never be able to do because of the dollars it takes to exceed patient expectations,” Hunt said.

The Neuro Intensive Care Unit on the sixth floor of the Barrow Neuroscience Tower has been named in honor of Celebrity Fight Night Foundation’s contribution to the Pushing Boundaries Capital Campaign.

2007 Celebrity Fight Night nets $4.4 million for charity The stars aligned for the 13th Annual Celebrity Fight Night, which netted $4.4 million, including $1.2 million for its primary beneficiary, the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow. More than 1,300 guests joined Muhammad and Lonnie Ali at the sold-out charity event on March 24 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix.

“Our guests’ profound generosity touches me deeply year after year, and this event was no exception,” said Jimmy Walker, Founder and Chairman of Celebrity Fight Night Foundation.“Without the remarkable support from our community and celebrity guests, we would not be able to give back to so many worthy causes.”

Providing entertainment at the event were Billy Crystal, Pam Tillis, Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, Neil Sadaka, Josh Groban, Diana Ross, Lucia Micarelli and Carlos De Antonis. Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster led the evening’s musical entertainment. As expected, the night’s
impressive auction made event history:

• Around of golf and private lunch with Phil Mickelson - $500,000
• Dinner with Muhammad Ali - $400,000 
• Dinner with Reba McEntire at her Beverly Hills home - $250,000
• Power lunch with Donald Trump in New York City - $350,000.
• One-of-a-kind 2007 Roush “Blackjack” Stage 3 Mustang - $225,000
• Private island retreat in Fiji - $150,000 
• Chance to attend the 50th Annual Grammy Awards plus a guitar collection - $150,000. The Muhammad Ali Awards were presented to leaders in the sports, entertainment and business communities who best represent the qualities associated with the Champ and his fight to find a cure. Award recipients were :
• Sharon Stone, “Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award”
• Donald Trump, “Muhammad Ali Entrepreneur Award”
• Steve Nash, “Muhammad Ali Sports Achievement Award”
• John Elway, “Muhammad Ali Sports Legend Award.”

Each year dozens of celebrity guests attend the event, which has raised more than $44 million dollars in 13 years. Sponsoring this year’s event were Mortgages Ltd., Molina Fine Jewelers, Casino Arizona, American Airlines, Sentient Jet, CA, Compass Bank, Best Life Magazine and POST Magazine. Barrow Neurological Foundation provided volunteers and organizational support. Celebrity Fight Night was started in 1994 to raise money for local charities through a celebrity charity event.

For more information, visit www.celebrityfightnight.org

A closed door opens: one PD patient’s story

When I was in elementary school, I will never forget a story I read, and for the life of me, I hope someday to remember its title. I remember it well because it was the first time I cried and felt emotion in the reading of a book, the first time I connected with the words and they connected with me.

It was about a dog and its vision of a room with one door and what it felt like when the door closed and it was alone. It could not open the door, could not see through the door, could not see around the door and, most of all, could not do anything to change its destiny until the door opened again. All the little dog could do was hope. All it could do was work to overcome the fear that no one would ever open the door again. All the little dog could do was wait.

My story is very much the same as many others: years of diminished flexibility, not being able to golf or throw the football with my kids, not understanding why. I remember asking myself why I could not keep up walking. Then my handwriting completely disappeared…it was my story but also the story of millions of others.

Then came the diagnosis, which amounted to the doctor handing me a three-month supply of Requip and saying,“You have Parkinson’s. See you in three months.” And then it was research on the Internet, and wow, talk about being scared.

I have now talked to hundreds of people with Parkinson’s and their story is the same: We all became the little dog in the room with no way to open the door. We only had fear to begin with, but with the help of our friends, our fear turned to hope.

I called the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, and Margaret Ann [Coles] invited me to Parkinsons 101. She and Darolyn [O’Donnell] taught the class, but more than that they taught me that the room I was in was no longer small. The room I was in became a room with a window and then it became a room with an open door.

And it is people like Jimmy and Nancy Walker who created that new room for me and thousands of others to look out of and to eventually leave.

With the help of the Center and the motivation of my wife, Ann, and family, I found new direction:

1. I would never be embarrassed about having Parkinson’s and I would tell everyone so they could recognize the disease and help others.
2. I would challenge every day that I live, and everything that I do would be to increase my physical and mental capabilities so as not to let this thing overtake my body and soul.
3. I would live my life with no regrets. When my time comes and I am put on the“unable to perform” list, I will look back with a smile.

This is what the center taught me and this is why I thank you along with my wife for my life no longer is a room with a door closed. The door is wide open.