Aid for AIDS Benefits From Awards Dinner

Aid for AIDS celebrated its fourth anniversary at the Beverly Wilshire on Friday night with a dinner that drew a host of celebrities, forged a strong sense of hometown pride and honored a most reluctant Man of the Year.

“I don’t believe in awards for something you believe in,” said actor Burt Lancaster, who nevertheless accepted the award graciously, one of many people to be singled out for their efforts in helping those afflicted with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

This local nonprofit group provides direct financial assistance to people with AIDS, helping them pay rent, utilities, medical bills and other essentials. In four years the group has doled out $650,000; they hoped to raise $50,000 from this benefit.

Standing Ovation

There was a standing ovation for Alfia Hollywood, winner of the Community Service award for her work with the Food Distribution Center. She operates the center, founded by her late son, Ken, giving out food to AIDS victims.

Earlier in the evening Lancaster lauded Aid for AIDS, saying, “This organization has gone out and given to some people some real kind of hope, a sense of living.” It was for this group that he posed for a poster that reads: “Think before you act . . . don’t get AIDS.” It has been used as an educational tool in Los Angeles Unified School District classrooms.

The Founders award went to John Duncan and Gary Bond, who began Aid for AIDS; the Kenneth Schnorr Memorial award was given to Jay Seifert and Rick Ewing for volunteer work; the City of West Hollywood received the Organizational award, and the Coalition to Defeat Proposition 64 won the Achievement award.

The Woman of the Year award went to the support group Mothers of AIDS Patients, and the Distinguished Service award was given to the Valley Business Alliance and the Southern California Gay Bartenders Assn. for their fund-raising efforts.

Songwriters Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach (neither could make it to the benefit) received the Humanitarian award; proceeds totaling $750,000 from their song “That’s What Friends Are For” have gone to the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

Making Presentations

On hand as award presenters for the evening, emceed by Marsha Mason, were Aid for AIDS spokesperson Leigh Taylor-Young, honorary co-chair Susan Strasberg, Jennifer O’Neill, Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert Foxworth, Lynn Redgrave, Michael Nouri, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Ed Begley Jr., Drew Barrymore and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Spotted in the audience were Wallis Annenberg, Cesar Romero, Sybil Brand, Barry Krost (he’ll be producing the next AIDS Project Los Angeles benefit again), Aid for AIDS executive director Tom West, Martha Raye and West Hollywood city councilmen Steve Shulte and John Heilman.