Tinsletown was out in full force April 13 for the 14th Annual Race to Erase MS, with this year’s version titled Dance to Erase MS. The gala event, held at West L.A.’s newly renovated Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, in Century City, Calif., attracted some of Hollywood’s flashiest to raise more than $2.5 million for the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, an organization dedicated to the treatment and cure of MS.
Television favorites such as Seth Green, Apolo Anton Ohno, Sela Ward, and Tara Reid posed on the red carpet for a salivating crowd of paparazzi frantically snapping shots of their every move as they entered the event.
A few steps away, guests walked into an exquisitely decorated ballroom dedicated to the night’s silent auction, with everything from trips to Paris and spa treatments at the hottest relaxation centers to signed sports paraphernalia and lavish gift baskets up for bid.
The main event kicked off in the Hyatt’s three-tiered Los Angeles Ballroom with a celebrity-studded Tommy Hilfiger fashion show, followed by a live auction (officiated by Tom Arnold and Ross “The Intern” Matthews from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) where items up for sale ranged from exotic vacations to the South Pacific to an adorable bulldog puppy (featured onstage) that sold for more than $35,000.
After dinner, it was time for dancing. The Goo Goo Dolls and Earth, Wind & Fire got the crowd out of their chairs dancing and singing along. The concert was topped off with Donna Summer as a surprise guest, and when she stepped on stage to perform “Last Dance,” the audience went wild.
The occasion was not only a big hit for the Nancy Davis Foundation, but it also shined the spotlight on the Hyatt’s impressive slate of renovations finished earlier this year.
As part of a multimillion-dollar upgrade, the hotel’s guest rooms and corridors were renovated to reveal a sleek, artful elegance. The property also added its new Regency Club, an exclusive meeting place located off the lobby and intended for VIP guests as well as for private events. In addition, the hotel opened its new X Bar, previewed on the night of the gala event and opened to the public May 1. This watering hole is predicted to become one of the hottest spots in West L.A., with a casual, breezy interior and an outdoor plaza complete with an inviting fireplace and seating area, perfect for off-site receptions and social events.
