Volunteers help pack thousands of snack kits, backpacks for event honoring Muhammad Ali

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Each year, the Muhammad Ali Center and Metro United Way team up for a day of service.

On Wednesday, volunteers helped pack thousands of healthy snack kits and school backpacks for “The Greatest Give Back” event, honoring Muhammad Ali.

Muhammad Ali is Louisville’s humanitarian legend, whose lifelong goal was to give back to the community.

This year, 500 volunteers were putting together 22,000 backpacks and snack kits for kids across the Louisville area. Wednesday’s event is one of many that shows the compassion the people of Louisville have for one another.

Lonnie Ali, philanthropist and wife of Muhammad Ali, was at the event and talked about what it meant to her.

“Having people here today and having this event here, it sort of keeps Muhammad here with me in my heart because I know if he was here, he’d be right up with them and at one of these tables helping as well,” Lonnie said. “So I know he’s happy, and I know his spirit is here today. So, it keeps his spirit alive in the community, his legacy alive in the community. And you know, sort of makes me emotional, it really does, because if there was one thing that Muhammad represented, it was about helping others, helping those in need.”

This was the fourth year for the Greatest Give Back event.