Stevie Wonder Performs At Race To Erase MS

On Friday, May 18, host, MS survivor and advocate Nancy Davis welcomed guests to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza for the 19th Annual Race to Erase MS themed “Glam Rock to Erase MS.”

The event raised $1.8 million to benefit the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and its Center Without Walls program which continues to raise funds in order to provide treatment and ultimately find a cure for MS. In addition to the $1.8 million raised this year, the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis has raised $23,519,888 in contributions since 1999, and has funded MS research grants and programs totaling $18,510,805.

Celebrity guests at this year’s event included host Nancy Davis, honorees Teri Garr and Deb & Bill MacMillan, presenters Marg Helgenberger, Cybill Shepherd, Khloe Kardashian-Odom and Lamar Odom, Shaun Robinson and Jason Kennedy, performers Stevie Wonder, Fitz and The Tantrums, David Cook and The Tenors, along with guests Taylor Armstrong, Spencer Boldman, Lacey Chabert, Taylor Dayne, Janice Dean, Diana DeGarmo, Zoey Deutch, Christine Devine, Francesca Eastwood, Carmen Electra, Shannon Elizabeth, Clementine Ford, Camille Grammar, Maddie Hasson, Taylor Hicks, LaToya Jackson, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Avan Jogia, Robert Knepper, Jon Lovitz, Camilla Luddington, Jacob Lusk, Jonathan “Lil J” McDaniel, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jack Osbourne, David Osmond, Kalia Prescott, Megyn Price, Shawn Pyfrom, Quddus, Kim Richards, Bobbie Riley, Deja Riley, Taja Riley, Evan Ross, Catt Sadler, Anjelica Salem, Cassie Scerbo, Charlie Sheen, Antonique Smith, Lea Thompson, Pia Toscano, Anna Trebunskaya, Mayra Veronica, Clay Walker and Ace Young, among others.

The 19th Annual Race to Erase MS opened with an exciting celebrity fashion show featuring styles from the Andy Hilfiger Andrew Charles Rock ‘N’ Roll Collection in addition to a presentation of the debut collection Authentic Icon, inspired by American Idol. The celebrity fashion show models included Spencer Boldman, Diana DeGarmo, Shannon Elizabeth, Clementine Ford, Maddie Hasson, Taylor Hicks, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Josie Loren, Camilla Luddington, Jacob Lusk, Jonathan “Lil J” McDaniel, Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Osmond, Kalia Prescott, Megyn Price, The Riley Sisters (Taja Riley, Deja Riley, Bobbie Riley), Catt Sadler, Angelica Salem, Cassie Scerbo, Antonique Smith, Pia Toscano, Anna Trebunskaya and Ace Young.

The evening also included a live auction called by Shaun Robinson and Jason Kennedy, during which lucky bidders walked away with items such as a Live Fashion Week Package from the Mandarin Oriental, New York including a three-night stay in a Premier Central Park View Suite, round-trip business-class airfare, two spa treatments, tickets to the Tommy Hilfiger women’s fall fashion show and a $5,000 shopping spree at the Tommy Hilfiger 5th Avenue store, tickets to the Monique Lhuillier runway show and a $2,500 gift certificate for Monique Lhuillier Ready-to-Wear, two second-row tickets to the Badgley Mischka runway show and a $1,000 gift certificate redeemable for Badgley Mischka merchandise; a five-night-stay stay for the winner and seven friends at the glorious Vomo Private Island Resort in Fiji, including a snorkel trip to Vomo Lai Lai, private dinner at The Rocks Beach, and an entertaining Lovo night featuring a traditional Fijian buffet, dances, songs and torch lighting ceremony; an amazing one-week charter on a gorgeous yacht; a shopping spree with Paris and Nicky Hilton, as well as other amazing packages.

Race to Erase MS once again hosted a variety of musical performances throughout the evening. American indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums opened the show performing hits “Don’t Gotta Work It Out,” “L.O.V.,” a cover of “Sweet Dreams”, and “Money Grabber.” American Idol winner David Cook followed with an energetic set including “The Last Song I’ll Write for You,” “Light On,” and a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” Guests then enjoyed a performance by vocal quartet The Tenors who a two-song set including a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Lastly, Grammy Award-winning artist and musical icon Lastly, Stevie Wonder sang a six-song set which included hits “Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down,” “Higher Ground,” “Easy On Yourself,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” and “Superstition.”

In Race to Erase MS tradition, a rendition of “Lean On Me,” was performed as the finale of the evening, this year led by Stevie Wonder who was joined by Nancy Davis, LaToya Jackson, Noelle Scaggs from Fitz and The Tantrums, country star Clay Walker, David Cook, The Tenors, and past American Idol contestants including Pia Toscano, Ace Young, Taylor Hicks, Diana DeGarmo and Jacob Lusk, among others.

The evening was generously sponsored by EMD Serono, Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Associated Television International and American Airlines, and supported by Voli Light Vodka.

The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis 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. All funds raised support “The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls” program, a unique collaboration of the world’s leading MS research scientists currently representing Harvard, Yale, University of Southern California, Oregon Health Science University, UC San Francisco and Johns Hopkins. 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 Foundation that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, awareness will be created by educating the public about this mysterious disease.