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Black Tie International:
The
Inaugural Irene Diamond Award Gala |
The Inaugural Irene
Diamond Award Gala
Photos by: Clint Spalding/PatrickMcMullan.com
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Magic Johnson, President Bill
Clinton, Dr. David Ho |
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Wynton Marsalis
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Lucy Liu |
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Michel
Witmer. |
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Gordon Davis, Jane Silver, Agnus
Gund |
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Rafael Viñoly, Alice Park, David
Baltimore.
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Walter Wang and Gina Chu |
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(New York, NY) More than 350
business and community
leaders joined The Aaron
Diamond AIDS Research Center
(ADARC) to honor former
President Bill Clinton
with the inaugural Irene
Diamond Award at a gala
dinner in New York's Jazz at
Lincoln Center. The Gala
raised $1.15 million to
support ADARC's mission to
defeat HIV/AIDS through
scientific research. Actress
Lucy Liu hosted the
evening, which included
appearances by Dr. David
Ho, Wynton Marsalis,
Magic Johnson, Dr.
David Baltimore.
The Irene Diamond Award is a
tribute to ADARC's founder
Irene Diamond, who
died six years ago at the
age of 92. With her late
husband Aaron, a real estate
developer, she created the
foundation that bears her
name. In 1991, at a time
when AIDS research was
acutely underfunded, her
determined idealism led her
to establish ADARC to pursue
scientific solutions to the
epidemic. Mrs. Diamond's
generosity was inspired by a
sense of personal
responsibility for those
affected, and her faith in
the power of committed
individuals to be catalysts
for public good.
Over a period of little more
than a decade the Fund along
with the Aaron Diamond
Foundation has distributed
more than $220 million,
including $50 earmarked for
AIDS.
From her own fund, Mrs.
Diamond made major gifts to
Jazz at Lincoln Center, the
New York City Ballet, the
Dance Theater of Harlem and
the New York Public Library.
President Clinton recognized
her philanthropy in 1999
with the National Medal of
Honor.
Dr. David Ho
remembered Mrs. Diamond's
courage, compassion and
intellectual curiosity,
which compelled her to fight
the epidemic by establishing
the first private laboratory
dedicated to HIV/AIDS
resarch -- an investment
that realized dramatic
returns when a few years
later ADARC pioneered
antiretroviral therapy.
Magic Johnson
attested to the impact of
ADARC's breakthroughs on the
lives of people affected by
HIV/AIDS. Mr. Johnson
presented the Irene Diamond
Award -- Rafael Viñoly's
striking design with a
single red rose embedded in
a crystalline diamond -- to
President Clinton, and
recognized his tireless
efforts to bring life-saving
antiretroviral therapy to
millions.
President Clinton emphasized
the critical link between
scientific advances
pioneered at ADARC and his
own work lowering the cost
of medications and providing
access to treatment in
developing nations through
the Clinton HIV/AIDS
Initiative.
Nobel Laureate David
Baltimore, former
chairman of ADARC's
Scientific Advisory Board,
spoke of key ADARC
breakthroughs that have
redefined our understanding
of HIV and changed the
course of clinical care for
patients. He introduced an
original documentary video
by Renata Simone
about Irene Diamond's role
in establishing ADARC, and
its history, accomplishments
and mission.
Guests included Gina
and David Chu, Dr.
Marty Markowitz,
Agnes Gund, Walter
Wang, Jane Silver,
Theresa and Frank
Hau, Michael Dell,
Beatrice Hahn,
Mark Goldberger,
Susan Ho, Baroness
Monica von Zadora-Gerlof,
Michel Witmer,
Stephanie Sozomenu,
Gordon Davis, Jane
Silver, Bob Lanier,
Dr. Sandy Vasam,
Fred Bowen, Sarah
Schlesinger, Joseph
Kennedy, Lucia Hwong Gordon,
Dr. Gerald and
Gail Friedlander,
Richard Teh, Miranda
Wong Tang, Dr. Paul
Bienaisz, Patty Tong,
Van Dalachandar,
Liz McGovern,
Shau-wai Lam, Jean
Young, Dr. Theodora
Hatziioannou, Ron
Weiner, Dominic
McHugh, Adam Silver,
Alice Park, Daren
Bagert, Dr.
Paul Bienaisz, Jane
and Philip Weingold,
Rowena Johnston,
Eric Holoman, Miranda
Wong Tang, Gregory
Boroff, Huang Ruo,
John Canemaker,
Steve Goff, Shau-wai
Lam and Van
Dalachandar.
www.adarc.org
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To list an upcoming event
please contact:
joyce@blacktiemagazine.com |
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