Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf made an unexpected announcement at a Las Vegas charity gala in April 2017. The tennis legends pledged $1 million to Keep Memory Alive, a nonprofit that supports the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The donation came during an evening when Agassi received an award for his charitable work. But before making the announcement, he took a moment to thank two people who had stood behind him throughout his journey off the court.
Andre Agassi makes surprise $1 million announcement at Las Vegas gala
The moment came on April 27, 2017, at the 21st annual Power of Love gala at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Agassi received the Community Leadership Award at the event, which raises money for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.During his speech, the former tennis champion spoke about the support he had received from centre founder Larry Ruvo and his wife, Camille. He credited the couple for helping him with his charitable work in education.“They’ve been there with me every step along the way, sometimes next to me, sometimes behind me, pushing me a little bit. Quite often I’ve found them under me, giving me their shoulders to stand on, and I can’t thank you enough for that,” Agassi said during his acceptance speech at the gala.Then came the surprise. Agassi announced that he and his wife, Steffi Graf, would donate $1 million to Keep Memory Alive. The pledge drew loud applause from the audience. Even Ruvo had not expected the announcement.“He went way off script,” Ruvo said after Agassi revealed the donation, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s. Ruvo embraced Agassi and thanked the couple. He also called the former tennis champion a hometown hero. What began as an award presentation had turned into another major contribution to the organisation.
Their previous $1.5 million gift helped support brain health research
The million-dollar pledge was not their first contribution to the centre. In January 2015, Agassi and Graf had donated $1.5 million directly to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.The Associated Press reported the donation on January 11, 2015. Larry Ruvo praised the couple’s generosity, describing it as “an extraordinary gift by a very wonderful man.”He told the Las Vegas Sun that the money would help the centre expand its research work for the community.The facility provides treatment for people living with Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It also cares for patients with frontotemporal dementia and multiple sclerosis.There is another important distinction between the two contributions. The 2015 donation went directly to the brain health centre, while the 2017 pledge went to Keep Memory Alive, the nonprofit organisation that exclusively supports the facility.Agassi’s words at the 2017 gala offered a glimpse into the personal connection behind the donations. He did not simply accept an award and leave the stage. He used the occasion to recognise the people who had supported his charitable efforts and announced a contribution alongside Graf. Together, their two publicly reported gifts amounted to $2.5 million in support of the centre and its work.