On Friday, June 5, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) advocate and Center Without Walls founder Nancy Davis welcomed guests to the Fairmont Century Plaza for the 33rd Annual Race to Erase MS Gala. The event raised over $1.8 million to benefit Race to Erase MS and its Center Without Walls program, a collaboration of top MS research centers working together as a team on groundbreaking research with the goal of treating and, ultimately, finding a cure for MS. The star-studded gala, hosted by Jesse Palmer, honored Disney Entertainment Television Communications EVP Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul with the organization’s prestigious Medal of Hope and featured performances by seven-time Grammy-nominated platinum and diamond selling in-demand R&B Artist Ty Dolla $ign, Emmy Award-winning, multi-platinum artist, songwriter, and activist Rachel Platten, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Richie Sambora, and Dancing with the Stars pros Alan Bersten and Emma Slater, along with a fashion show by L’AGENCE.
Nancy Davis, Founder, Race to Erase MS
Guests at this year’s landmark event included Race to Erase MS Founder Nancy Davis, host Jesse Palmer, performers Alan Bersten, Emma Slater, Rachel Platten, Richie Sambora, and Ty Dolla $ign, fashion director ofL’AGENCE Tara Rudes Dann,and other special guests including Alyvia Alyn Lind, Andy Richter, Ashley Benson & Brandon Davis, Barbara Alyn Woods, Brandon Armstrong, Brandy Ledford, Britt Stewart, Carmen Electra, Chandra Wilson, Christine Devine, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Dana Walden, David Faustino, Diane Warren, DJ Pookie, Dyan Cannon, Elle Chapman, Eva LaRue, Ezra Sosa, Frances Fisher, Grace Ann Nader, Hayley Orrantia, Hilary Roberts, Jackie Dallas, Jaime King, Jan Ravnik, Jane Seymour, Janel Parrish, Jay Huguley, Jenna Dewan, Jenna Johnson & Val Chmerkovskiy, Jennifer Fessler, Joely Fisher, Jonathan Cheban (Foodgod), Kathy & Rick Hilton, Lisa Vidal, Mark Anderson, Montana Tucker, Natalie Alyn Lind, Olivia Sanabia, Sarah Jane Nader, Sasha Farber, Shaun Robinson, Stassi Schroeder & Beau Clark, Tia Carrere, Virginia Madsen, Whyley Yoshimura, and more.
Introduced by the evening’s host, Jesse Palmer, Dancing with the Stars professionals Alan Bersten and Emma Slater opened the celebration with a captivating dance performance.
The evening continued with a fashion show presented by L’AGENCE. Many attendees also wore designs from the brand, including Nancy Davis and Tara Rudes Dann, along with Natalie Alyn Lind, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Ashley Benson, Jenna Dewan, Jaime King, Barbara Alyn Lind, Kathy Hilton, Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul, and more.
Nancy Davis then welcomed guests and thanked them for their continued support as Race to Erase MS celebrated its 33rd year of raising critical funds for multiple sclerosis research. “When I started this journey, the doctors told me there was nothing we could do for MS… no treatments, no roadmap, no hope, just a disease that stole people from themselves and their family, piece by piece. I refused to accept that, and so did you. Today, there are over 25 FDA approved therapies because of you, year after year deciding that ‘nothing we can do’ was never going to be the final answer. That’s the miracle we built together: one fundraiser, one foundation, one research grant, and one act of generosity at a time. But as you know, we’re not finished…not even close. Not until every person with MS is healed,” said Davis.
The evening also honored Disney Entertainment Television Communications EVP Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul with the organization’s prestigious Medal of Hope, recognizing her leadership, advocacy, and resilience while navigating life with multiple sclerosis. When accepting the award, Bulochnikov-Paul said, “MS is often invisible, and [for] those of us living with it, it can feel like you’re walking on a tight rope. You don’t know if a relapse is coming, or what it might take from you, but the truth is that uncertainty isn’t unique to MS. At the end of the day, none of us know what happens tomorrow, all any of us can do is choose how we live. You can live in fear, or you can live in power…everyday, I choose the latter.”
Guests were treated to a series of unforgettable musical performances throughout the evening. Palmer returned to the stage to introduce Ty Dolla $ign, who energized the crowd with performances of “Paranoid,” “Psycho,” “Don’t Kill The Party,” and “Carnival.” Later in the evening, Richie Sambora took the stage to provide the audience with a rendition of Bon Jovi classics “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “I’ll Be There for You,” alongside David Osmond. Rachel Platten followed with a performance of her hit songs “Stand by You,” “Set Me Free,” and “Fight Song.” As in years past, the evening’s program concluded with the organization’s signature performance of “Lean On Me,” led by Osmond, Platten and Sambora, accompanied on piano by Latin Grammy-winning artist Cheche Alara, while audience members gathered together for the moving finale.
The event also featured a luxury live auction offering exclusive, one-of-a-kind experiences, including two round-trip flights on Aero, including a three-night stay at The Little Nell and dinner at Catch Steak Aspen; an invitation for two to attend Kathy Hilton’s annual Holiday Pajama Party; an exclusive L’AGENCE New York Fashion Week experience featuring a two-night stay at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel; two first-class vouchers on Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines, along with a four-night stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea; Retna’s acclaimed painting, Eye of the Beholder; a four-night private yacht charter in Nassau, Bahamas, complete with crew and a gourmet chef; and a luxurious seven-night Tuscan villa escape for up to 10 guests and more. After the auction concluded, Emmy-nominated actress Chandra Wilson introduced the physicians and researchers whose groundbreaking work continues to drive progress toward a cure for multiple sclerosis.
Presenting sponsors of the event included Disney, Fairmont Century Plaza, L’AGENCE, and Associated Television International. Guests of the gala evening enjoyed Premium Natural Mineral Water by S.Pellegrino, Premium Natural Spring Water by Acqua Panna, Peroni Nastro Azzurro Premium Italian Beer and 0.0% ABV, Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah Red Wine produced by RUSACK Vineyards, Solvang, CA and Two Sisters Courtney’s Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay by Lincourt Vineyards of Solvang, CA.
Race to Erase MS was founded in 1993 by Nancy Davis and is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis. Since the Race to Erase MS foundation was created, there has been more than $58 million raised and more than 25 FDA approved therapies created to aggressively fight MS that have provided hope, inspiration, and resources to those in the Multiple Sclerosis community. The annual Los Angeles Gala is one of the most important fundraising events supporting innovative research and therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS through the foundation’s Center Without Walls program. The gala directly benefits the foundation’s Center Without Walls program, a unique collaboration between eight of the world’s leading MS research centers across the country who have bolstered their individual efforts on groundbreaking research into collective action with the goal of treating and, ultimately, finding a cure for MS.
To further expand on the work of Erase To Erase MS, the Center Without Walls program currently includes physicians, scientists, and clinicians from Cedars-Sinai, UCSF, Harvard, Yale, Oregon Health Science University, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, University of Vermont and USC. The Race to Erase MS Gala 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 worldwide suffering from MS. Davis also created the annual “Orange You Happy to Erase MS” campaign, which takes place for the entire month of May (MS Awareness Month) and adds yet another branch of fundraising for MS research. Throughout the month, a variety of orange products, many of which are specially created for this initiative, are sold to benefit the cause and elevate public awareness about MS.
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About Race to Erase MS – Race to Erase MS was founded in 1993 by Nancy Davis and is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of multiple sclerosis. 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 30 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 $58 Million.
Photos by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Race to Erase MS/The Influence.