Butterfly Effect

Butterfly Ball Fundraiser in Atlanta Attracts People From Around the World

By John Fox

ATLANTA (February 26, 2005) – It seems that every time Muhammad Ali makes an appearance, he shakes up the world, just as he did in Lewiston, Maine, in Zaire, in Manila, and in Atlanta, Ga., where he did it, again, on Saturday night at the Butterfly Ball held at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead. “The Greatest”, who is 63 now, still carries with him the charisma and overwhelming combination of power and finesse that beat Liston, Foreman and Frazier. Only today Muhammad’s fighting is done outside the ring for societal causes and humanity-building initiatives.

At the Butterfly Ball, these significant accomplishments and valuable contributions to people all over the world, but particularly African Americans, were duly recognized by nearly eight-hundred supporters and friends who came from around the world to attend and to show support for Ali’s international center. Proceeds from the Butterfly Ball will go toward the capital campaign of the Muhammad Ali Center, opening in November in Ali’s hometown of Louisville.   

It was eight and a half years ago that Ali touched the world with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta. On Saturday night he returned as celebrities, dignitaries, friends, and just plain fans chanted his name in unison during a night honoring Ali’s life, appropriately taking place during Black History Month.

The black tie gala was co-hosted by broadcast personalities Tavis Smiley (also on the Ali Center’s National Advisory Council) and Tom Joyner. Honorary Co-Chairmen were former heavyweight champion and Ali Center Advisory Council member Lennox Lewis and President William Clinton, who was unable to attend the event but who gave an inspirational and poignant message via videotape. Others who participated in the program included Michael Fox, president and CEO of the Ali Center and Dr. Matthew Whitaker (Arizona State University, Tempe) who is a member of the Center’s National Advisory Council. The Butterfly Ball also attracted luminaries such as entertainer Brian McKnight, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Ali photographer and longtime friend Howard Bingham, Atlanta Braves outfielder Brian Jordan, among many others.

But one of the night’s most endearing moments occurred when Ali’s daughter, Laila, herself an accomplished boxer, gave a tearful impromptu speech. “Don’t tell anyone I’m this sensitive,” she said amid the crowd’s laughter due to her tough-girl image.  “I love you and I’m proud of you, and I’m glad there’s your blood running through my veins.”

After all the eloquent speeches – from Ali’s wife, Lonnie (co-founder of the Ali Center along with her husband), to Laila, to Jackson, to Lewis, the greatest speech came from “The Greatest of All Time.” While he’s no longer the loquacious man of his youth—and rarely makes public remarks—Ali can still captivate an audience with his mere presence. Most of the night he could be seen hamming it up with his admirers, staging photo ops endlessly as he would throw pretend punches to their jaws. He was playful, joyful and wonderful to all, never turning anyone down.

When he finally took the microphone for himself, after being lavished with praise the entire night, the room fell silent. Ali spoke softly, but the voice was distinctly his and the room was his too. He started off with a couple jokes, which were a little difficult to discern but everyone got the punch line. Then he playfully boasted, “I think I’m making a comeback!” The audience laughed heartily, but when he concluded with the clear and succinct declaration, “I’m the greatest of all time,” the place erupted, followed by a raucous chant of “Ali, Ali, Ali!”

“He doesn’t have to say much,” Lennox Lewis said after the program. “Anything that man says has to be marveled at. He has an aura that exudes from him that everyone feels when they are around him.” Lewis said he remembers watching Ali on TV as a kid and hoping to emulate the ‘Ali Shuffle’ someday. He did okay for himself, finishing his fighting career on top and retiring as heavyweight champion.

 “(Ali’s) achievements in boxing were extraordinary, but his accomplishments outside the ring are what inspire us all,” Lewis said.

“I believe that Muhammad Ali stands at the foundation of all that is good and inspiring about history and civil rights,” said Dr. Matthew Whitaker, assistant professor of history at Arizona State University. “The Ali Center is a ‘must have’ institution because our children and our children’s children need to have one place where they can go to understand the legacy of this wonderful human being.”

Michael Fox, President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center, was extremely pleased over the success of the Butterfly Ball, which will help the $78 million Ali Center reach its capital campaign goal by its November grand opening. He said it was very fitting that the event was held in Atlanta, where Ali made such an indelible impression during the Olympics in 1996.

“At that moment in time, the world embraced Muhammad as he had always embraced the world. The symbolism of that emotional passage is that now, Muhammad Ali has his own center that he can, in time, ‘pass the torch to’ in order to carry on his legacy and continue his life’s work,” Fox said.

The Ali Center will serve as a platform for conflict resolution training and improving cultural dialogue. In addition, it will combine innovative exhibits, public programming, and distance learning initiatives to encourage visitors to embark on their own paths to personal greatness.

Corporate sponsors of the Butterfly Ball included Adidas, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., BellSouth, Coca-Cola, Eastman Kodak, and the UPS Foundation.