Keep Memory Alive Marks 30 Years of the Power of Love on Valentine’s Day

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

There are gala nights, and then there are Las Vegas gala nights. And on Valentine’s Day, the 30th anniversary of Keep Memory Alive’s Power of Love gala wasn’t just another event on the social calendar — it was a three-decade love story.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

Held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the milestone evening honored music legend Kenny Loggins and brought together a room that only this city could assemble: Kevin Cronin, Gavin DeGraw, Richard Marx, Rachel Platten, Rita Wilson, Daisy Fuentes, Luke Bryan, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, Lisa Vanderpump, Alice Cooper, Maria Shriver and more — all united for a cause that has defined philanthropic Las Vegas for 30 years.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

Founded by Camille and Larry Ruvo, Keep Memory Alive began as a promise — a deeply personal commitment to families facing Alzheimer’s. Three decades later, that promise has grown into the nationally recognized Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative disease. What started as a small idea has evolved into a world-class institution serving thousands of patients and caregivers each year.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

Onstage, Camille Ruvo reflected on the poetry of celebrating the “power of love” on Valentine’s Day — the very force that built this mission. She spoke movingly about caregivers, reminding the audience, “Before there is a cure, there is a caregiver,” a line that landed with particular resonance in a room filled with families who have walked that road. Larry Ruvo looked back at the promises made in Las Vegas 30 years ago — and the global impact that followed. Today, the center has seen more than 350,000 patient visits and continues groundbreaking research in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and other brain diseases. It is Nevada’s first Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and a nationally recognized leader in clinical trials that are shaping the future of brain health.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

But if the evening honored science, it equally honored soul. Kenny Loggins — whose music has long served as the soundtrack to American summers, romances and rebellions — accepted his tribute with humility and perspective. “What good is living to 100 if our brains don’t go with us?” he asked, reflecting on the importance of longevity research. Then, with the gratitude of a songwriter who understands legacy, he added: “To look back and see songs adopted as people’s personal soundtracks — that’s a songwriter’s greatest gift.”

And what followed felt like a collective memory set to music. Tribute performances brought Loggins’ catalog roaring back to life: Gavin DeGraw delivered a tender “Danny’s Song,” Kevin Cronin took on “Angry Eyes,” Rachel Platten brought the arena to its feet with “Fight Song,” and Rita Wilson offered a heartfelt “A Love Song.” By the time Loggins himself hit the stage for “This Is It,” “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend,’” “Danger Zone,” and finally a full-throttle “Footloose” finale — joined by fellow performers — the arena felt less like a gala and more like a reunion of shared history.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

The night wasn’t without its deeply personal moments. Many in attendance shared how brain disease has touched their own families. Bronwyn Newport spoke through emotion about spending her first Valentine’s Day without her father, who passed away from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Rita Wilson shared memories of her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. Kevin Cronin reflected on his mother’s fight with Lewy body disease. Daisy Fuentes spoke of her mother’s Parkinson’s journey. Luke Bryan acknowledged the many in his life affected by brain disease. The stories were raw, and they were real — reminders that this cause transcends celebrity.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

In true Vegas fashion, there were also electric moments: spirited live-auction bidding wars, a Kiss Cam that lit up the arena, and a surprise proposal that had the entire crowd on its feet. But at its core, the 30th anniversary Power of Love gala was something deeper than spectacle.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

For three decades, Keep Memory Alive has woven philanthropy into the cultural fabric of Las Vegas — uniting entertainment, medicine and community in a way few cities can. This wasn’t just a celebration of Kenny Loggins. It was a celebration of endurance — of caregivers, of researchers, of families, of hope. Thirty years in, the mission remains clear: to advance the science, to support the families, and to ensure that love — in every sense of the word — remains the most powerful force in the room. And on this Valentine’s night in Las Vegas, it absolutely was.

Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive