Muhammad Ali, one of the best-known athletes of the past century, still gets a kick out of being recognized by a kid at a fast-food window.

"Muhammad is in awe when we go through the McDonald's drive-through and the teenager who is 16 knows who he is and thinks he is cool and awesome," said Ali's wife, Lonnie Ali. "It just really brightens him up. He loves connecting with the next generation."

It is not just teens or fast-food fans who think the 63-year-old boxing great is cool.

An audience of admirers, including celebrities, will pay up to $1,000 a ticket to attend the Butterfly Ball Saturday night in Atlanta to honor Ali as part of Black History Month. Proceeds will support the Muhammad Ali Center, scheduled to open in November in Louisville, Ky.

The event will add a late push toward raising $75 million for the center. The six-story, 93,000-square-foot building will overlook the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ali's hometown.

Lonnie Ali said completion of the center "will be a dream come true."

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