Ripken Foundation To Honor Muhammad Ali, Others

The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation will honor boxing legend Muhammad Ali, child advocate Robbie Callaway and business partner Under Armour during the ninth annual Aspire Gala in February.

The gala, set for Feb. 22 at the Waterfront Marriott in Baltimore, will feature each of the three honorees—Ali and Under Armour founder & CEO Kevin Plank will accept the Aspire Award, while Callaway will be presented the Cal Sr. Award.

Ali will accept the award with his wife, Lonnie. The Alis, according to a news release from the foundation, have given of themselves to hospitals, soup kitchens, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics.

Callaway, a former Ripken Foundation chairman of the board, "is a lifelong advocate for children, especially children from the most disadvantaged circumstances," according to the release.

Under Armour, among a series of community-oriented initiatives, recently launched a program called "WIN Baltimore" that aspires "to generate positive social change" in the city, according to the release.

The event will draw more than 800 attendees, according to the foundation, which is the beneficiary of the event. The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation uses baseball and softball to offer character-building and life lessons in "America's most distressed communities," according to the release.

Past honorees include O.J. Brigance, Mark Teixeira, Tony Gwynn, Earl Weaver, Jamie Moyer, Peyton Manning and Lou Holtz.

For more about the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, visit ripkenfoundation.org  For more news from Aberdeen Patch, sign up for our free daily and breaking news email newsletters.