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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Muhammad Alis legendary presence made him a natural ambassador for the center bearing his name. His family and friends hope his death wont stop fans from opening their checkbooks to support his legacy in the city where his boxing career started.Alis death in June at age 74 after a long battle with Parkinsons disease left the Muhammad Ali Center without its co-founder and guiding force.It really made us stop and reflect even more about whats next. What happens after the champ is gone? Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said.The center showcases his fights inside the ring and outside of it -- against war and segregation. Ali Center officials have an ambitious fundraising campaign and hope to further promote the ideals championed by Ali: peace, social justice and personal growth.Meanwhile, a renovation of exhibit space, planned before his death, opens to the public in September with new artifacts.Alis wife, Lonnie, said the centers efforts embody her husbands humanitarian goals.Muhammad was very proud of the Muhammad Ali Center and his genuine desire was that it last for generations to come as an example of how people should live their life, said Lonnie Ali, who co-founded the center.The burst of activity comes as the center, a striking structure along the Ohio River that opened in 2005, tries to build on the outpouring of interest in the three-time heavyweight boxing champion.So many people ... had absolutely no idea that Muhammad Ali was from Louisville, said Ali Center President and CEO Donald Lassere.Fans flocked to Alis hometown after his death. Tens of thousands lined Louisville streets for his funeral procession before a star-studded memorial service.In the first week after he died, the Ali Centers attendance surged to 20,000 people. In 2015, visitors totaled about 100,000. The upswing continued in July and August. Gift shop sales have skyrocketed.The initial phase of the fundraising campaign, focused on Louisville, has a goal of $10 million. About $1 million has been raised so far. The campaign will expand globally, with an ultimate goal of $100 million.Fundraising needs to occur right now while all thats kind of fresh in peoples mind, said Ina Brown Bond, a longtime Ali Center supporter.Donations account for about 70 percent of the Ali Centers income, officials said. The rest comes from admissions, memberships, retail sales and private events. The centers annual budget is about $4.5 million.Lassere acknowledged that fundraising will likely become more difficult as years pass.An annual event bestowing Ali humanitarian awards is an important fundraising occasion. This years awards ceremony will be Sept. 17, and recipients include Cindy Hensley McCain, wife of Arizona Sen. John McCain, and Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr.Still, officials acknowledge that Alis death leaves a void.How do you overcome (the loss) of the greatest of all time? Lassere said. You have ... to have the confidence to move forward.Supporters say the center will stay relevant by promoting Alis humanitarian principles while delving into discussions about bridging racial and religious divides.The Ali Center should be one of the premiere gathering places in the world for these types of conversations, said Fischer, the mayor. Because what the Muhammad Ali Center has that nobody else has is Muhammad Ali.Theres only one of him. Cheap NMD Australia Free Shipping .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Cheap Adidas Shoes Australia . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. http://www.clearancenmdaustralia.com/ . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Cheap Adidas NMD Australia . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Wholesale Adidas NMD Australia For Sale .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner.As stunned as we may be by the Blue Jays 23-31 record and last place standing in the A.L. East, there are actually two teams that have blown me away by their monumental collapses in May. Lets start in the National League. Youve got to concede, Milwaukee hasnt been quite as imposing since Prince Fielder left for Detroit as a free agent. But they still looked like a solid team that could at least be close to one of the Wild Cards. Ron Roenickes crew got out of the gate with a fairly solid 14-11 record in April. They have a star left fielder in Ryan Braun (juiced or not) and a budding superstar at short in Jean Segura. However they havent had the starting pitching and their bullpen has been in turmoil through injuries and inconsistency. The Brewers are heading for the worst month of May in franchise history. They have dropped six in a row and are just 5-22 for the month. The "Brew Crew" has tumbled into last place in the N.L. Central, and they are already 16 games back of first place St. Louis and 13 behind division rival Cincinnati for the second Wild Card spot. Barring a miracle, their season is already over on the final day of May. General manager Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash would appear safe, based on an excellent track record and the Brewers solid attendance. Roenicke, though, could be in trouble if the nose dive continues. Royal Pains The team though that really puzzles me is the Kansas City Royals. G.M. Drayton Moore went out in the off-season and appeared to fill the void in the starting rotation by acquiring James Shields and Wade Davis from Tampa Bay and Ervin Santana from the Angels. Though none of the three have been spectacular, they have added some stability to the starting staff and some veteran leadership. The Royals actually went 17-10 in April, and looked like a team that might press Detroit for the division lead over the course of the season. Then in May, the bats died. The Royals are only 5-19 this month. Not only that but they tied a franchise record by dropping 10 in a row at home and had dropped eight in a row overall before Thursdays bizarre win at St. Louis. More on that in a second. But for now K.C. is last in the A.L. Central and seven and a half back of the Yankees for the second Wild Card spot, same as the Blue Jays. A year ago, the Royals tied for last in the American League in home runs. Again this season, they were struggling to hit the long ball. Early this week, batting coach Jack Maloof stuck his foot in his mouth by saying the Royals would likely finish last in homers again. A couple of days later Maloof and his assistant batting coach Andre David were re-assigned withhin the organization.dddddddddddd The man taking over as interim batting coach for Thursdays game was 60-year-old George Brett, the greatest Royals player of them all. Yes, the Royals did win the game at St. Louis and break off that eight-game losing skid, but it was one of the strangest games you would ever want to see. The Royals could only muster four hits on the night, but managed to rally for three runs in the top of the ninth to beat the "Red Birds" 4-2. Thats not even half the story. The game played in front of over 43,000 fans was delayed for an hour at the start by rain. Heading to the top of the ninth, St. Louis was up 2-1. Then Jeff Francoeur slugged a homer - the Royals first in 59 innings - and Eric Hosmer later in the inning hit what proved to be a game winning two-run bases loaded double off Victor Marte. That wasnt the final chapter though. Right after that, the skies opened up again, and the game went into a marathon rain delay of four hours and 32 minutes. The game finally ended at 3:14am. This was the Royals one and only visit to St. Louis this season, so veteran ump Joe West was determined to get it in. He actually could have ruled the game was official after eight and given St. Louis the 2-1 victory. Over the course of the delay the Cardinals brass and manager Mike Matheny actually lobbied for West to do just that. Matheny said he was worried that one of his players might have been injured on the slippery field. He couldnt be too critical though because it was his home grounds crew at Busch Stadium. In fact, he said later they did a great job just to make the field playable. When play resumed, it took just 12 more minutes to get the final six outs. Will this be a turning point in the Royals season? Who knows? I thought the Blue Jays might get some huge momentum by having four relievers combine to shut out Atlanta 3-0 on Wednesday night. So what happens Thursday? R.A. Dickey struggles again and the Blue Jays get blasted 11-3 in the series finale. Bruised Yankees This is circle the wagons weekend for the Yankees. Theyve lost five in a row including a four-game sweep in Queens at the hand of their crosstown rivals, the Mets. This weekend they are home to the division-leading Red Sox whom they trail by two games. C.C Sabathia will be facing Jon Lester in a duel of lefties in game 1. The Yanks are due to get Kevin Youkilis and Mark Teixeira back in the line-up. At this point it would probably be better for the Blue Jays if one team or the other get swept in their respective series. Of course, they would have to co-operate by taking three themselves at San Diego. Game on! ' ' '