|
JENNIFER HUDSON
AND RICHARD DICKSON, CEO OF GAP INC.,
HONORED AT THE ELIZABETH
TAYLOR BALL TO END AIDS
Performance by
Singer-Songwriter Natasha Bedingfield
Event Generously
Supported by Presenting Sponsor
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
|
|
LOS ANGELES, September
27, 2024 — Last night, The
Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) honored
multi-award-winning entertainment icon Jennifer
Hudson and President and CEO of Gap
Inc. Richard Dickson at the fifth
annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End
AIDS fundraising gala held at The
Beverly Hills Hotel. Hudson accepted the
first-ever Elizabeth Taylor Rowdy
Activist Award for her ongoing
support for people living with HIV, and
for the LGBTQ+ community while Dickson
accepted The Elizabeth Taylor
Commitment to End AIDS Award for his
longstanding support of people affected
by HIV and AIDS. The elegant evening
featured a showstopping performance by
singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield.
Generously supported by
Presenting Sponsor Gilead Sciences,
Inc., the gala was hosted by model,
actress and author Dominique Jackson. The
Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS included
a seated dinner and an exciting live
auction in partnership with Christie’s
featuring 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.
Event Highlights:
-
On-stage while
accepting the Elizabeth Taylor
Rowdy Activist Award, Jennifer
Hudson said, “We all deserve to
live our life with great purpose and
that is why I will always continue
to advocate. I will always use my
platform to advocate for all of us,
to end stigma, to end prejudice and
anything that makes anyone feel less
than anyone else.”
-
While accepting The Elizabeth
Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award, Richard
Dickson shared, “Living in New
York and working in fashion, I was
exposed to the epidemic head on. It
was a remarkably dark and
stigmatizing time – I knew many
people that were affected by HIV and
I lost people that I cared about.”
He continued, “Today, while we’ve
made significant progress, we still
have a fight. Right now, more than
nine million people still miss out
on treatment, including 660,000
children who are living with HIV and
that’s just not acceptable. Together
we can bridge that gap.”
-
While on stage, Quinn
Tivey shared, “When grandma
first established ETAF in 1991, she
recognized what sadly remains
crystal clear today, which is that
the HIV and AIDS crisis extends far
beyond health concerns as you
consider it in its fullest scope –
it’s a social justice crisis that
affects different communities in
their own unique ways.”
# # #
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. 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. Gilead operates in more than 35
countries worldwide, with headquarters
in Foster City, Calif.
|