How do I get my Father to meet Muhammad Ali?

August 23, 2008 4:52 PM

Muhammad Ali / Parkinson's Filter.

So, Muhammad Ali is going to travel to Denver to take part in the Democratic convention next week. This got me to thinking, which often is a bad thing. I'd love for my father, who is 82 and has had Parkinson's disease for nearly 30 years, to meet him. I have no idea how one goes about setting something like that up. I also have no idea why I'd want to make that happen except for their shared experience with the disease. One of the most inspiring things I've ever seen was when Muhammed Ali lit the torch at the Atlanta Olympic games. Standing in front of the world as a former Olympic Champion whose body is failing him, but obviously still is a champion. I guess I'd like to give my father, who is brilliant, but trapped in a failing body, one more brush with greatness. Especially with someone who shares his own bane.

Email is in my profile for those who have help they'd rather not put up in public.

posted by Eekacat to human relations (5 comments total)

I have two suggestions, but they are a long shot at best.

One, if your representative or senator is a democrat, contact their office and see if they can arrange it. Two, try and contact this guy. He had Mr. Ali write a forward to his book, so maybe he could do it. I would try to contact people who know Ali.

As an aside, I saw an interview with Muhammad Ali before he was officially diagnosed but after it was apparent that he had some medical issue. He told the reporter when asked about his slurred words, "I have been hit upside the head thousands of times. If I hit you upside your head once you would be slurring your words."

I hope you can arrange for the meeting for your father's sake. Good luck.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 6:04 PM on August 23, 2008

His official site lets you send a message or contact his people.
posted by dhartung at 6:31 PM on August 23, 2008

Seconding that you call the office of your Democratic senator, representative, or state governor. Ask to speak with the chief of staff. You may have to work through a couple of levels but usually these folks are pretty accessible, and your specific request should get bumped up the ranks. Hell, your senator would probably like to meet Ali, as well, and this might be his/her ticket.

If you and/or Dad live in the Denver area, another option would be to contact Denver media -- the Post, Rocky Mountain News, or one of the TV stations, and see if they would help facilitate this, obviously with the idea that they get to cover it. Every news outlet will be looking for interesting angles like this.
posted by beagle at 7:05 PM on August 23, 2008

Hopefully you'll have luck if you contact the right people. I'm no boxing or Ali fan, but I've read quite a few articles that mention times when Ali has seen some story on the local news while on the road (a family's house burns down, for example) and he'd immediately send a rep over with a check. Good luck!
posted by Oriole Adams at 1:49 AM on August 24, 2008

Thanks folks. Those are good ideas, and I've started working on it. And, dhartung, I missed the contact his people link, thanks for providing that. I wish I had heard about this earlier since it's going to be crazy this week out here...
posted by Eekacat at 10:19 AM on August 24, 2008