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Muhammad Ali and Unknown Artist Unveil Lifelike Portrait Champ to Autograph Limited Edition Lithographs to Raise Money for Parkinson's Disease LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion and the National Parkinson Foundation's Champion of Parkinson's Research, Muhammad Ali, unveiled a lifelike portrait of himself, entitled Face of a Champion, during a private ceremony in Los Angeles today. The unveiling ceremony is the culmination of an unknown artist's pursuit of Ali's support of her quest to "make a difference" through her newly established company, Athletes with Heart (AWH). The mission of AWH is to spotlight athletes of exceptional character through extraordinary artwork for the purpose of benefiting worthwhile charitable causes. Muhammad Ali will personally sign 250 Limited Edition lithographs produced from the original five foot by 7 foot portrait. Seventy percent of the net sales of these lithographs, priced at $5,000 each, will benefit the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF), for whom Muhammad Ali is the national spokesperson. These tax-deductible lithographs will be immediately available to the public by contacting Athletes with Heart at: 1 (888) AWH-5519. The goal is to sell all 250 lithographs via the media attention surrounding this announcement. A public display of the original artwork will be displayed during a NPF fund- raiser scheduled to take place at "A Very Special Arts Gallery" in Beverly Hills in February and will be auctioned at that same fund- raiser. Caryn Fregoso, the artist and president behind AWH, along with partners, Ronnie Harris of the Atlanta Falcons, VP and principal investor, AWH and Bill McConkey, a professor from Wisconsin, chose Muhammad Ali for their first project because of his dedication to helping others and his reputation as a champion of the human spirit. AWH wants 1999 to be the year of Athletes with Heart, and a successful campaign with the "Greatest" will surely add to the success of future projects with other athletes and their charities of choice. "This project illustrates more than a great athlete; it illustrates an attitude we should all live by," stated Fregoso. "I am driven by the desire to use my God-given abilities as an artist to make a difference, and I hope my efforts inspire others to do the same. That's the concept behind Athletes with Heart." The passion, integrity and determination of this unique company captured the hearts of the National Parkinson Foundation which has worked in partnership with Athletes with Heart to launch this first project. Together, they have set a goal of raising more than half a million dollars for Parkinson's disease. "In today's society, companies like Athletes with Heart are awe-inspiring; we feel privileged to be given the opportunity to help make an artist's dream of making a difference with her talent a reality," stated Melinda Brown, director of public relations, NPF. "The funds NPF receives from this project will surely make great strides in Parkinson's research." In NPF's continuing efforts to find the cause of and cure for Parkinson's disease, the Foundation recently launched a Special Seed Money Pilot Grant Program. The program was designed to provide funds to new individual investigators who develop novel and promising ideas in the area of Parkinson's disease. This increase in the number of investigator-initiated awards will provide a needed fusion of researchers into movement disorders for years to come. NPF plans to use the proceeds from the Athlete with Heart project to continue this exciting new research endeavor. "It's an exciting time in Parkinson's disease; several new treatments were made available this year alone and more are awaiting FDA approval. With continued research, I am sure a cure will be found in the next decade," stated Abraham Lieberman, medical director, NPF. What is Parkinson's disease? Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive neurological disorder which has debilitating effects on a patient's ability to control voluntary movement. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease generally include tremor, stiffness of muscles (rigidity), slowness of movement (bradykinesia) and loss of balance (postural dysfunction). Other symptoms of Parkinson's disease include loss of recent memory (dementia), depression, lessened facial expression and smiling (masked face), freezing episodes or difficulty in walking, loss of voice power and small crowded handwriting. Not every person with Parkinson's disease will have the same symptoms. Symptoms appear slowly and in no particular order. Currently, over 1 million people in the United States alone suffer from this debilitating disease, and each year nearly 60,000 new cases are diagnosed. There is no cure, but there is hope through research. What is the National Parkinson Foundation? The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) is the largest organization serving people with Parkinson's disease and their families world-wide. NPF's mission is to: find the cause and cure for Parkinson's disease and allied neurological disorders through research; to educate general medical practitioners to detect the early warning signs of Parkinson's disease; to educate patients, their caregivers and the general public; and to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services, to improve the quality of life for both patients and caregivers. For more information on the National Parkinson Foundation or Parkinson's disease call: 1(800) 327-4545 or visit NPF on the world wide web at http://www.parkinson.org For more information on Athletes with Heart or to purchase a lithograph call: (888) AWH-5519. SOURCE National Parkinson Foundation CO: National Parkinson Foundation, Athletes with Heart ST: Florida, California IN: HEA SU: 12/10/98 09:45 EST http://www.prnewswire.com