USA: THIRD ANNUAL "SEASONS OF HOPE" AWARDS DINNER TAKES PLACE IN BENEFIT OF AIDS RESEARCH.

Record ID: 390503

  • Title: USA: THIRD ANNUAL "SEASONS OF HOPE" AWARDS DINNER TAKES PLACE IN BENEFIT OF AIDS RESEARCH.
  • Date: 1st December 2000
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK (NOVEMBER 29, 2000) (REUTERS) ROSELAND THEATRE SHARON STONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHARON STONE SAYING, "We've got worldwide eleven young people every second becoming HIV positive. It's not just reaching out to them. We've got to look at what are the trade sanctions , what are the rules. Are the drugs being made other places that are not FDA approved.
  • Embargoed: 16th December 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment,General,Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA8LAGOD04C8RPWUPN210YQBMJ0
  • Story Text: The Third Annual, "Seasons of Hope" awards dinner benefiting the American Foundation for AIDS Research has been held at New York's Roseland Ballroom - hosted by perennial AIDS campaigner Sharon Stone celebrities in attendance included Natasha Richardson, Liam Neeson, Kenneth Cole and others.
    It was a night of glitz and glamour to raise awareness and money for the fight against AIDS as the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) brought out some of Hollywood's most respected stars for the "Seasons of Hope"
    awards dinner.
    The dinner and awards presentation was held to commemorate World AIDS Day 2000 and was hosted by Sharon Stone, chairman of amfAR's Campaign for AIDS Research.
    Stone said of the struggle to help those with AIDS worldwide consists of some complicated issues, "How do you get the medicine to people and people who live in the wild where do they keep the medicine? "People who live in huts don't have a clock. When do they, how do they take the medicine. There's a lot a lot of issues that seem small but become really large. And we have to think about all of these things, you know. So practically there are very practical sensible things that we are working on and tonight we're trying to raise money to forward that cause."
    One of the honrees of the event was famed actress, Natasha Richardson. For Richardson, finding a cure for the disease has a special meaning, "Because apart from a number of friends, I lost my father to AIDS who I love more than anyone in the entire world. And so , I you know had to help."
    Richardson organized an immensely successful auction of fashion from the Oscars that raised more than $1. 4 million dollars in 1999.
    And for his work with helping amfAR since 1987, Kenneth Cole, one of the best known fashion designers in the world was also given an award. Every year on World AIDS Day, December 1st, Cole donates a portion of the proceeds from his retail sales to amfAR.
    For Kenneth Cole, amfAR stands alone in the fight for a cure for AIDS, "At the end of the day there's lots of things you can do about AIDS but the only thing that is going to cure it is biomedical research and that's what AMFAR does and they're the only ones that really do that."
    AmfAR is the United States' leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, AIDS prevention, treatment, education and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $175 million in support for its programs and awarded grants to over 1,850 research teams worldwide.
    Other well known Hollywood couples at the event besides Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson included: Uma Thurmann and Ethan Hawke as well as Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick.
    The founding Co-Chair and Chairman of the Board of amfAR, Dr. Mathilde Krim was on hand as well.
    The evening ended with an uplifting performance from singing sensation, Jessica Simpson.
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