Muhammad Ali's funeral will be held in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky on Friday, and the town has turned out to give Ali one final farewell.
Fifteen thousand free tickets to the funeral were distributed in just one hour on Wednesday morning. Some fans of Ali waited overnight in lines to secure tickets, which were limited to four per person. Some of the tickets began showing up online; this listing features the tickets for $50 apiece.
"I'm personally disgusted and amazed that someone would try to profit off of Muhammad Ali's memorial service," Ali family spokesman Bob Gunnell said. "I hope that those buying tickets or trying to buy tickets would stop those efforts by not purchasing. Muhammad Ali wanted this to be a free event, an event that was open to all."
Still, the city of Louisville plans to turn out in force to celebrate Ali. "Muhammad Ali was such an amazing person, not only as an athlete but really a humanitarian," said Jessica Moore, Jefferson County assistant district attorney. "He was the people's champion and we, being from Louisville, feel like family to him."
The funeral will be held on Friday in Louisville's KFC-Yum Center. Prior to the funeral, a Thursday prayer service will celebrate Ali's Muslim heritage, and a Friday procession will run throughout the streets of Louisville starting at 9 a.m. Former president Bill Clinton, Bryant Gumbel, and Billy Crystal will offer eulogies for Ali, who died last Friday. Will Smith and Lennox Lewis will serve as pallbearers.
The Ali Center will stream the funeral on its website for viewers unable to see the ceremonies live.
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