Anonymous donor gave Ali's favourite Louisville park $5m: ‘lover of parks’

A celebration at Louisville's historic Chickasaw Park took an unexpected turn in November 2025 when officials revealed that an anonymous donor had given $5 million towards restoring the century-old public space. The announcement came as community members gathered to celebrate the reopening of renovated tennis courts, with most people at the event unaware that a multimillion-dollar gift was about to be revealed. The donor chose not to disclose their identity, asking only to be known as “a Louisvillian who loves the parks”. The gift will support major improvements to the park, which has a significant place in Louisville's Black history and is known as a favourite park of Muhammad Ali, who grew up nearby and trained there.Anonymous donor’s $5 million gift to Muhammad Ali’s favourite Louisville parkThe $5 million donation was announced on November 15, 2025, during a ceremony marking the reopening of the West Louisville Tennis Club courts at Chickasaw Park. The event had been organised around the renovated courts and the park's continuing role as a community gathering place. Leaders from Louisville, the city's Parks Department and the West Louisville Tennis Club attended, but according ...