LOS ANGELES, September 22, 2023 — Last night, 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:
- 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.”
- 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.”
- 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 cb****@et**.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.
