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The gloves are gone, but the mark he left still hits home as Whitaker Weekend kicks off with a Thursday night gala.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A hometown hero is back in the spotlight this weekend as the city kicks off “Whitaker Weekend,” a three-day celebration honoring boxing legend Pernell Whitaker.

The event recognizes Whitaker’s legacy both inside and outside the ring, while also raising money for a youth boxing program that carries his name.

“It’s not about the fight — it’s about honoring the fighter,” some organizers said as the celebration got underway on Thursday night.

Whitaker, a Norfolk native and Olympic gold medalist, built a career defined by world titles across multiple weight classes and elite defensive skill. But organizers said this weekend is about more than his accomplishments in boxing.

Coordinator Tiffany Jenkins said the goal is simple: keep Whitaker’s impact alive.

“We want to revive people’s memory of Sweet Pea — his legacy and what he meant to the Hampton Roads area,” Jenkins said.

At the heart of Whitaker Weekend is a focus on mentorship and community impact.

Virginia Beach City Councilman Cash Green, who helped lead the effort, emphasized that the initiative goes beyond boxing.

“This is not just about boxing, but it’s about mentorship. Youth mentorship in the boxing community,” Green said.

Funds raised during the weekend will support the Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker Youth Boxing Club, an after-school program based at Powerhouse Gym. The initiative supports youth through mentorship and boxing discipline.

Councilman Green believes the program is somewhere young men and women can turn to for guidance they may not have at home.

“They can come to the boxing community and have a father mentor them,” he said.

Among those attending is Dr. Khalilah Camacho Ali, the former wife of Muhammad Ali and a close friend of Whitaker.

“He left a legacy,” she said.

Ali described Whitaker as someone who helped young people channel their energy in positive ways.

“We have children out here who need something to look forward to,” she said. “Sweet Pea showed them how to put that energy in the right place. And I admire him for that."

She returned to Virginia for the first time since Whitaker’s death in 2019 to support the event, and to make sure his name still holds weight.

“He’s like an unsung hero,” she said.

Whitaker Weekend continues through Saturday, wrapping up with a showcase featuring up-and-coming boxers inspired by Whitaker’s legacy.

The weekend is also bringing out some of boxing’s biggest names. Scheduled appearances include former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield and Olympic gold medalist Mark Breland, both teammates of Whitaker on the U.S. Olympic boxing team.

Watch 13News Now's interview with Dr. Khalilah Camacho Ali on LIVE Impact News below:

Early risers in Hampton Roads witnessed a spectacular sky display, as a glowing plume from SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch in Florida created a stunning light show.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Early risers across parts of Hampton Roads were treated to a striking sight in the sky Wednesday morning as a glowing cone-shaped trail appeared high overhead.

Several across the region reported seeing the unusual display shortly after 6 a.m., describing a bright streak moving across the sky followed by a halo-like plume expanding behind it.

The sight was tied to a rocket launch from Florida.

At 5:52 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, sending 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

According to SpaceX, the launch took place from Space Launch Complex-40 and marked the 25th flight for the rocket’s first-stage booster, which has previously supported missions including Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, SES ASTRA 1P and NG-21, along with multiple Starlink launches.

Following stage separation, the reusable booster successfully landed on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

The bright plume seen from Virginia Beach was caused by sunlight illuminating the rocket’s exhaust high in the atmosphere.

According to NASA, rocket launches near sunrise or sunset can create glowing plumes visible hundreds of miles away. Even when the ground is still dark, rockets traveling at high altitude can remain in direct sunlight, causing the expanding exhaust gases to scatter light and form bright clouds, spirals or cone-shaped halos in the sky.

Experts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) note the effect occurs because the exhaust plume expands rapidly in the thin upper atmosphere, allowing sunlight to illuminate the particles and make them visible across large regions.

For many viewers in Virginia Beach, the illuminated plume appeared as a large cone of light trailing behind the rocket, creating a brief but dramatic display in the morning sky.

While launches from Florida’s Space Coast are routine, the timing and atmospheric conditions can occasionally make them visible far beyond the launch site, turning ordinary rocket launches into unexpected sky shows across the East Coast.

SpaceX said the satellites launched on Wednesday will join its growing Starlink constellation, designed to provide high-speed internet coverage around the world.