On Friday, June 4, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) advocate and Center Without Walls founder Nancy Davis welcomed guests to the Rose Bowl for the 28th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala: Drive-In to Erase MS.
Credit/Copyright: Rich Fury/Getty Images for Race to Erase MS
For the second year in a row, this legendary event was held at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium for a night of celebration and fundraising under the stars. The evening raised over $1.4 Million to benefit the Race to Race to Erase MS and its Center Without Walls program, a collaboration of top MS research centers working together as a team on ground-breaking research with the goal of treating and, ultimately, finding a cure for MS.
The event opened with a Spring/Summer 2021 runway show from Hollywood-favorite fashion brand alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet. Lance Bass welcomed everyone to the event, and brought Isabella and Mariella Rickel to the stage, who gave a heartfelt introduction to their mother, Nancy Davis. Nancy thanked everyone for their ongoing commitment to the cause, and expressed her excitement over Earth, Wind & Fire’s upcoming performance. She was followed on stage by Red Songbird Foundation foundation founder Hilary Roberts, who last year announced the first-ever Jason Davis Scholarship in honor of Nancy’s son Jason, who passed away in early 2020.
After being introduced by Kathy Hilton, Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards, and Sutton Stracke, Letitia Frye hosted the energetic live auction which featured a wide variety of one-of-a-kind items including a Hublot Watch designed in collaboration with Shepard Fairey, a virtual reading from Tyler Henry, 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS 63 AMG®, and The Little Nell.
Longtime Race to Erase MS supporter Mario Lopez brought son Nico up to the stage to help him welcome the headliners of the evening. The legendary Earth, Wind & Fire had everyone dancing and singing along as they absolutely brought the house down with a full set, including their classic hits “September,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “Shining Star,” “Let’s Groove,” “Fantasy,” and more!
As is Race to Erase MS tradition, the evening concluded with a group performance of “Lean on Me,” led by Earth, Wind & Fire, Siedah Garrett, David Osmond, Greg Phillinganes, and others.
Additional special guests at the event included: Maximilian Acevedo, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, Tyra Banks, Stacey Bendet, Alan Bernsten, Michael Campion, Francesca Capaldi, Christine Devine & Sean McNabb, Courtney Dietz, David Faustino, Alberto Frezza, Kimmy Gatewood, Madison Grace, Harlow Jane, Thomas Jane, Victoria Justice, Keltie Knight, Natalie Alyn Lind, Loni Love, Dorothy Lucey, Vanessa Marano, AnnaLynne McCord, Sterling Monett, Keo Motsepe, Camerone Parker, Jasper Polish, Marta Pozzan, Shaun Robinson, Olivia Sanabia, Gleb Savchenko, Cassie Scerbo, Jodie Sweetin, Dave & Tonya Winfield, and more!
The Race to Erase MS was honored by the gracious design contribution for the event by Shepard Fairey and Studio Number One. Limited-edition prints are available to purchase for $60 each, with proceeds going to Race to Erase MS. Screen prints are 18 X 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper and signed by Shepard Fairey; Numbered edition of 550. Click here.
Race to Erase MS was founded in 1993 by Nancy Davis and is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of multiple sclerosis. Race to Erase MS is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure for MS. Funding research is the core focus of the foundation and significant strides have been made to find the cause and cure of this debilitating disease. At the event’s inception 27 years ago, the absence of medications and therapies encouraged its involvement; the Race has been instrumental in funding pilot studies that have contributed to drugs now on the market and other very important therapies that are improving the lives of people suffering from MS.
All funds raised 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. This nationwide collaboration of physicians, scientists and clinicians are on the cutting-edge of innovative research and therapeutic approaches to treat MS. It is the hope of the Race to Erase MS that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, awareness will be created by educating the public about this mysterious disease. Since its founding, Race to Erase MS has raised over $50 Million.
