LA: Inside The 22nd Annual Race to Erase MS Gala

Philanthropist, activist and advocate Nancy Davis simultaneously raised $1.7 million to benefit multiple sclerosis research, honored Tommy Hilfiger and threw one heck of a party on Friday night.

The MS survivor welcomed guests to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza for her 22nd Annual Race to Erase MS gala in support of her organization, Race to Erase MS, and its Center Without Walls program—a collaboration of top MS research centers working together as a team on ground-breaking research to treat and ultimately cure MS.

The event included a plethora of musical acts, a haute dinner and both a silent and live auction; the latter was called by Anne Heche and James Tupper. During the live auction, lucky bidders walked away with items including a trip to Hawaii, Greece, an experience with Larry King and a stay on an Illusions Yacht. The big item of the night was a bespoke Aston Martin Vanquish, commissioned by Tommy Hilfiger, that Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank walked away with.

The gala opened with a performance by Youtube sensation MattyB, before Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne stepped onstage to speak about the progress the doctors at Davis’ Center Without Walls are making in curing the disease. Davis then welcomed guests and generously thanked those that made the night possible, and encouraged everyone to remain hopeful for a cure.

Ally and Ricky Hilfiger took the stage to introduce the 2015 Medal of Hope recipient, who also happens to be their father: Tommy Hilfiger. They spoke about his dedication to cure MS, and his hope for a MS-free future. Hilfiger expressed his thanks and accepted the award on behalf of his sister, who suffers from the disease.

Following Hilfiger’s speech, Randy Jackson introduced the first musical act, Rita Ora, who sang hits including “Doing It,” “I Will Never Let You Down,” and “Black Widow.” Grammy Award-winning artist Ne-Yo then sang an incredible set which included his best hits “Sexy Love,” “So Sick,” “She Knows,” “Let Me Love You,” and “Miss Independent.”

In what has become a Race to Erase MS tradition over the past 22 years, an uplifting rendition of “Lean On Me,” was performed as the finale of the evening, led by Rita Ora and Ne-Yo, and who were joined on stage by Nancy Davis, Tommy Hilfiger and more.

Celebrity guests at this year’s event included Paris Hilton, Kathy Hilton, G. Hannelius, Rowan Blanchard, Rumer Willis, Frances Fisher, Francesca Eastwood, Carmen Electra, Lea Thompson, Cheryl Burke, Val Chmerkovskiy, Camille Grammer, Lydia Hearst, Kym Johnson, Aly Michalka, AJ Michalka, Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for Race to Erase MS