Selma Blair Honored at 26th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala
On Friday, May 10, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) advocate and Center Without Walls founder, Nancy Davis, welcomed guests to the Beverly Hilton for its 26th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala. The event raised over $1.8 million to benefit the Race to Erase MS and its Center Without Walls program.
The evening began with a special runway show from Hollywood-favorite fashion brand alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet. The looks were showcased by a variety of models and actors, including Delilah Belle Hamlin, Luca Bella Facinelli, Lilac Emery-Haynes and Mason Grammer. Race to Erase MS founder Nancy Davis took the stage next, thanking guests for being in the room to celebrate the 26th Annual Gala. She spoke of the incredible accomplishments of the organization over the past several years, including raising over $48 million for Race to Erase MS and its Center Without Walls program.
The luxurious live auction returned this year and featured one-of-a-kind opportunities and collector’s items including a skip trip at The Little Nell in Aspen Colorado, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour Abbey Road Studios (sold to Tommy Hilfiger!), and a Bahamas vacation aboard an Illusions yacht. The big item of the night was a Vanderhall Motor Works Venice GT Auto-Cycle, a classically redefined demonstration of art on wheels.
The first performer of the evening, Aloe Blacc, was introduced by David Foster and Jack Osbourne, who himself was diagnosed with MS in 2012. Blacc sang “The Man,” and “Candyman,” and closed his set with a beautiful rendition of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.” David Foster also introduced the night’s headliner, music superstar Flo Rida, who brought down the house with a twelve song set that included hits “Right Round,” “My House,” and “Wild Ones.” In what has become a Race to Erase MS tradition over the past 26 years, an uplifting rendition of “Lean On Me,” was performed as the finale of the evening, led by Foster with help from Angelina Jordan, Adán Allende, Fernando Allende, and so many more of the night’s special guests!
Race to Erase MS was founded in 1993 by Nancy Davis and is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis. All funds raised by the organization, through its iconic galas and year-round initiatives, support the “Center Without Walls” program, a unique collaboration of the world’s leading MS research scientists currently representing Harvard, Yale, Cedars Sinai, University of Southern California, Oregon Health Science University, UC San Francisco, Johns Hopkins and UCLA.
