Sharon Stone to Travel to Brazil to Raise Money for amfAR at 2nd Inspiration Gala São Paolo

Mario Testino and John Demsey to be Honored; Grace Jones to Perform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

amfAR MEDIA CONTACTS:
Bennah Serfaty, Sr. Director of Communications: 212-806-1607, bennah.serfaty@amfar.org 
Natalie Marquis, Media Relations Associate: 212-806-1694, natalie.marquis@amfar.org  

NEW YORK, NY, March 29, 2012—On April 26, 2012, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, will return to Brazil for its second annual Inspiration Gala in São Paulo.  Following the success of last year’s Inspiration Gala São Paulo, which was the Foundation’s first ever event in South America, this year amfAR’s Global Fundraising Chairman Sharon Stone will travel to Brazil to help raise awareness and critical funds for AIDS research.  Ms. Stone will serve as an Event Chair alongside Dinho Diniz, Felipe Diniz, and amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole.

The event will be held at the home of Dinho Diniz, and will feature tributes to two honorees: photographer and artist Mario Testino, and John Demsey, Group President of The Estée Lauder Companies and Chairman of the M·A·C AIDS Fund.  Mr. Testino, who will be presented with the Piaget Award of Inspiration, has long been a spirited advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness, aligning himself with various AIDS charities including amfAR, and often donating works for auction which have raised millions of dollars for a number of international causes.  Under Mr. Demsey’s leadership, the M·A·C AIDS Fund has raised more than $236 million to help improve the lives of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally, and in turn has funded countless amfAR initiatives.  Mr. Demsey will receive the amfAR Award of Courage in recognition of his extraordinary vision and leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The event will include specially crafted Grey Goose cocktails, gala dinner, fashion presentations, and a special musical performance by the incomparable Grace Jones. Each year, the Inspiration Galas revolve around a different design theme; this year, décor and guests’ attire will draw inspiration from the theme “Black Tie//Hot Metal.” Sponsors for the Inspiration Gala include Title Sponsor M·A·C Viva Glam, Iguatemi São Paulo, Louis Vuitton, Piaget, and Silvia Furmanovich.

The Inspiration event series was launched in 2010 by amfAR and Josh Wood Productions to celebrate all aspects of men’s style.  Previous Inspiration events have taken place in New York, Paris, and Los Angeles, raising more than $3 million in total for AIDS research. 

About amfAR  

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $366 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. www.amfar.org  

About Josh Wood Productions 

Josh Wood Productions has produced and promoted socially conscious events and concerts featuring artists such as Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Ricky Gervais, Norah Jones, Kylie Minogue, Lou Reed, Scissors Sisters, Michael Stipe, and the Pet Shop Boys. Their events have raised money and awareness for Downtown for Democracy, The Guggenheim Foundation, Empire State Pride Agenda, Friends of Hillary, Friends of the Highline, Hetrik Martin Institute, MoveOn, Obama for America, Oxfam, Rock the Vote, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Veterans for Peace.  Josh Wood Productions’ latest project, “The Inspiration Gala Series: A Celebration of Men’s Style,” is an international fashion gala fundraiser benefiting amfAR.  For more information please visitwww.joshwoodproductions.com.

About M·A·C Cosmetics 

M·A·C (Make-up Art Cosmetics), a leading brand of professional cosmetics, was created in Toronto, Canada in 1984 and is part of The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. The company’s popularity has grown through a tradition of word-of-mouth endorsement from makeup artists, models, photographers and journalists around the world. M·A·C is now sold in 79 countries/territories worldwide. Follow M·A·C on Twitter @MACcosmetics (twitter.com/maccosmetics), become a M·A·C fan on Facebook (facebook.com/maccosmetics), watch M·A·C videos on YouTube and find our M·A·C Senior Artists at macartiststweets.com. For a M·A·C location visit maccosmetics.com.

Delta Air Lines is the official airline of amfAR.