Originally founded by Jimmy Walker in 1994, Celebrity Fight Night has had support and endorsements from A-List stars for nearly three decades and is proud to say they have raised tens of millions of dollars for charity. This year on March 12th, 2022 marks the change of hands when Jimmy passed the torch over to Gateway’s Founding Chairman and Vice Chair, Richard J Stephenson and Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson.
The inaugural Gateway Celebrity Fight Night was an evening of star-studded performances with Emcee Reba McEntire and appearances/performances by Pitbull, CeeLo Green, Michael Bolton, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, The Tenors, The London Essentials, Bo Derek, Dale Moss, Cameron Mathison, Melissa Peterman, Cedric Ceballos, Tom Chambers, Chris Rich, Alicia Quarles, Tony Orlando and more!
The black-tie event was held at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. It commenced on a purple carpet and a cocktail reception followed by an exquisite dinner. The gala had a live auction with one-of-a-kind luxury items to raise proceeds that directly fund clinical research cancer trials. Celebrity Fight Night, whose work has supported a range of worthwhile causes, will now focus its firepower on defeating cancer, aiming to shape a world in which a cancer diagnosis is no longer feared.
Gateway for Cancer Research, an internationally recognized philanthropic organization that has generated more than $95 million in charitable funding throughout its 27-year history, raised more than $5 Million at its inaugural Gateway Celebrity Fight Night, a result of a merger between Gateway and Celebrity Fight Night in 2021. This year’s event featured a “Stardust Dreams” theme and was held at the JW Marriott Resort and Spa Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona.
For more information about Gateway for Cancer Research, visit https://www.gatewaycr.org. To learn more about the Stephensons’ philanthropic efforts, visit https://richardandstaciestephenson.com.
