From former US president Bill Clinton, actresses Sharon Stone and "Sex and the City" siren Kim Cattrall to Supermodel Linda Evangelista and hundreds of scantly clad models and attendees: only the 16th annual Life Ball, which was held in front of Vienna's city hall, could draw such a diverse audience. Life Ball is Europe's largest AIDS charity event with over 40,000 visitors enjoying "best costume†competitions, surprises, shows, music concerts, dancing points and fashion shows.
Highlights from the evening included Sharon Stone's touching speech about discrimination and Cattrall handing over the Life Ball Crystal of Hope to Rosemary Mueni Mbaluka for her project Yier Ngima (Choose Life), an anti- HIV/AIDS project seeking to prevent mother-to-child transmission in Kenya.
"A ball for “fagsâ€, it could not be good," organizer Gery Keszler recalled the words he said over 15 years ago, which proved to be totally wrong. Since 1992, Life Ball has raise more than 9.6mn Euros for people living with HIV and AIDS. This year, organizers are hoping to top last year's proceeds of 1.2 million euros for HIV/AIDS charities.
Take a look at more coverage of the event:
Charity Galas for AIDS
Life Ball 2008
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Charity Galas - Organizing virtual charity events can cater to a wider audience and eliminate geographical limitations for fundraising.
2. Celebrity Endorsements for Social Causes - Partnering with celebrities can draw attention to a social cause and amplify the message to a larger audience.
3. Empowering Grassroots AIDS Campaigns - Supporting grassroots initiatives, like Rosemary Mbaluka's Yier Ngima project, can aid in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and empower local communities.
Industry Implications
1. Charity and Non-profit - Charity and non-profit organizations can incorporate virtual events and celebrity endorsements to expand their donor pool and raise awareness of social causes.
2. Entertainment and Events - The entertainment and events industry can collaborate with non-profits to design virtual events that engage audiences and raise funds for social causes.
3. Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals - The healthcare and pharmaceutical industries can support grassroots initiatives and research for preventing and managing HIV/AIDS.