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The
Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF)
honored
NBA Hall of Fame legend, philanthropist and businessman
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
and philanthropist and entrepreneur Cookie Johnson at
the Elizabeth
Taylor Ball to End AIDS
fundraising gala held at The
Beverly Hills Hotel.
Award-winning actors Angela Bassett and Courtney
B. Vance presented the Johnsons with the Elizabeth
Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award at the fourth annual
event. The star-studded evening featured an unforgettable
performance by seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winning ‘Empress of
Soul’ Gladys Knight.
The gala – generously supported by Presenting
Sponsor Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Diamond Sponsor Bulgari –
included a seated dinner and an exciting live auction in
partnership with Christie’s featuring unique works of art
and luxury experiences with Brett Sherlock serving as
auctioneer. Guests were given an up-close look at exclusive
items from The Elizabeth Taylor Archive including highlights
from Elizabeth Taylor’s personal life, film career, and
philanthropy.
Co-Chairs for this year’s Elizabeth Taylor
Ball to End AIDS
included musician, model, actor and ETAF Ambassador Paris
Jackson
as well as entrepreneur, producer, ETAF friend and
longtime supporter Christine Chiu.
Event Highlights:
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On-stage while accepting the Elizabeth
Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award, Earvin
“Magic” Johnson said, “When I think about my journey
32 years ago, when people say I wouldn't be here, it's
companies like Gilead and others who provided [an
opportunity]. At that time there was only one drug, but
the blessing is, now there are over 40. We made some
great strides. Now we can have dinners and talk openly
about HIV and AIDS where back then we couldn't.”
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Event host Angela Bassett said,
“When Elizabeth Taylor founded The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS
Foundation decades ago, she knew what is still so clear
today. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is not just a health
crisis. It is also a social justice and health equity
crisis. Even though we've made so much scientific
progress, people living with HIV still face stigma,
discrimination, criminalization, and profound
inequities.”
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Courtney B. Vance read
a letter on-stage from former President Barack Obama congratulating
the Johnsons on the award that said, “They didn't just
help raise research dollars or educate the public. They
moved us to think in an entirely new way about a
condition affecting millions of people around the world
– changing attitudes with the kind of grace and
encouragement that only true leaders can display. It
was the same grace and courage Elizabeth Taylor
displayed when she became the first globally recognized
HIV and AIDS activist. Work that has been carried on in
so many ways by the foundation that bears her name. Magic's
pragmatic, optimistic approach to his diagnosis ended up
changing the way the world saw the disease.”
# # #
ABOUT ETAF
Working tirelessly on the AIDS crisis
throughout the 1980s, Elizabeth Taylor established The
Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) in 1991 to carry out
her vision for an AIDS-free world. ETAF works to provide the
direct care needed for people living with and affected by
HIV and AIDS. Emphasizing Elizabeth's voice, commitment, and
concentration on hard-to-reach communities, ETAF's domestic
advocacy initiatives remain a priority. HIV
Decriminalization nationally is ETAF’s primary advocacy
initiative. ETAF's programs have also expanded to ensure
that HIV prevention education and access to treatment are
available through domestic and international initiatives.
For more information, visit ETAF.org
or contact Cathy Brown, ETAF, at cbrown@etaf.org.
ABOUT GILEAD SCIENCES
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical
company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in
medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of
creating a healthier world for all people. The company is
committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and
treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral
hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer. We
also recognize that it takes more than medicine to address
challenges patients and communities face in accessing the
best possible care, and we know that passion for scientific
discovery alone — and that Gilead alone — cannot solve these
challenges. Gilead applies the same values of partnership,
integrity and dedication to our work tackling the social and
structural challenges that patients, healthcare providers
and other partners must overcome to identify and elevate the
best possible solutions.
ABOUT BULGARI
Part of the LVMH Group, Bulgari was founded
in the heart of Rome in 1884. Over the decades, the Brand
has established a worldwide reputation as magnificent Roman
High Jeweler and icon of Italian art of living thanks to its
exquisite craftsmanship, visionary design and audacious
color combinations.
Through a pioneering vision intrinsic in the
brand's DNA since its founding, the company’s international
success has evolved into a global and diversified luxury
purveyor of products and services, ranging from fine jewels
and high-end watches to accessories and perfumes, and
featuring an extended network of boutiques and hotels in the
world’s most exclusive shopping areas.
Demonstrated through its numerous
philanthropic partnerships, Bulgari deeply believes in
innovating the present for a sustainable future through its
commitment to Social & Environmental Responsibility and
giving back – to nature and to the community.
www.bulgari.com
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