Louisville celebrates Muhammad Ali's legacy with annual festival
The city of Louisville came together to honor the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali as part of the annual Ali Festival.
The legendary boxer died nine years ago this month, and each year since, the community has come together to remember "The Greatest."
On Sunday, the Muhammad Ali Center hosted a community carnival, welcoming thousands of people for a day filled with family-friendly activities like face painting, games, and entertainment.
While the event mainly honors Ali's legacy, it also helps to promote unity across Louisville.
"I think part of what we're going to see is that there is an incredible hunger for people to come together in ways that we don't always find at these days," said DeVone Holt, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center. "So many things that seem to divide us, and Muhammad has been one of those common themes that seems to galvanize people. And so we felt it was a responsibility of ours to use the brand, the name, the facility to continue to bring people together."
On Tuesday, the Ali Center will commemorate the anniversary of Ali's passing by providing free red roses to those wishing to pay their respects at his gravesite in Cave Hill Cemetery.
Ali's widow and the center's co-founder, Lonnie Ali, will be there at 10 a.m. to share remarks as part of a short program.