Reporting and Photos By Lieba Nesis

The Alzheimer’s Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s research, held its annual gala on Wednesday October 25, 2023 with cocktails beginning at 6 PM at the Jazz at Lincoln Center.  Formed in 1980 by Jerome Stone, the Alzheimer’s Association, which to date has raised over $80 million, seeks to find a cure, provide care and aid in global research for the disease-one that affects more than 6.5 million Americans and more than 11 million caregivers. Without an imminent cure the number of people 65 and older is expected to grow to 12.7 million by the year 2050.

In 2023 Boston University researchers found several genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s that were unique to Ashkenazi Jews who are a more genetically homogeneous population.  Sensing the need to spearhead activity more than 50 years ago, Yasmin Aga Khan the daughter of Prince Aly Khan and movie actress Rita Hayworth, has become a forerunner in the fight against Alzheimer’s after her mother was diagnosed in 1981 at the age of 62.  Rita Hayworth’s struggle with Alzheimers began in her 50’s experiencing confusion, disorientation and mood swings.

By 1981 Hayworth’s deteriorating condition led to a court declaring her legally unable to care for herself with her daughter Princess Yasmin moving her next door in New York City. Yasmin has made the fight against Alzheimer’s her life’s work and was thereby awarded France’s Knight of the Legion of Honor by Ambassador Phillipe Etienne in October 2022.  From the middle stage to the end Hayworth lived an 5 additional years during which time she relied heavily on oil painting, playing the castanets and golfing to ease her discomfort. Khan recognized the dearth of celebrities advocating for a disease that has been largely hidden from public view as compared to AIDS which has dominated the airwaves since Elizabeth Taylor became its spokesperson in 1985.

The 250 person $1,500 per ticket sold-out evening is one of the most enjoyable of the year containing delectable food, a plethora of entertainment and a meaningful program.  Emcee and two time Olympic medalist and Alzheimer’s Association Celebrity Champion Laurie Hernandez introduced Ballet Hispanico, singers R.Q, Tek, Darren Criss and Colton Ryan,and musicians Evan Drachman and Wan-Chi Su who all made the evening a smash success.  The venue featuring views of the entirety of Central Park South didn’t hurt either as guests feasted on braised short rib and Villa Antinori wine.

Guests such as Josie Natori, Harold Koda, Liz Brewer, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Janna Bullock, Peter Thomas Roth, Peter Cook, Sharon Bush, Naeem Khan, Alisa Roever and Christina Estrada fraternized enthusiastically amongst the dimmed lighting that added a certain Feng shui calm that most dinners lack. Corporate underwriter Rolex Watch along with accounting firm PragerMetis helped ensure the lush evening’s success with generous contributions. Documentarian Emma Francis Snyder spoke of her father’s protracted battle with the disease as President and CEO Joanne Pike declared the evening a “moment… and time that the fight against Alzheimer’s changed.” With increased pharmaceuticals being made available such as Aducanumab and Lecanemab to treat the disease which has afflicted luminaries such as Tony Bennett, Charlton Heston, Sean Connery, Robin Williams, Ronald Reagan and dozens of others the hope for a cure is becoming more achievable.  This past week a study by Mount Sinai Medical Center which looked at more than 27,000 people over 65 found that sildenafil, the main component of Viagra, reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s by 60%.  With all the positive news of an antidote on the horizon, guests headed to the $200 afterparty which featured dessert, drinks, dance performances and a DJ spinning 90’s tunes-as the “Imagine Benefit” which raised close to a million dollars was a greater success than even Yasmin Aga Khan could have imagined.