Elton John and his partner David Furnish have appeared on the red carpet for their annual Aids Foundation benefit in New York.

Speaking to journalists David said, "There is still so much stigma associated with it (HIV) people are afraid to test, afraid to announce their status." (Video link)

American Airlines, The Kraft Group, and Wells Fargo served as the Presenting Sponsors of the benefit, and the star-studded evening raised $2 million for the Foundation. View a photo gallery from the event.

As part of the evening’s program, Elton and David presented Enduring Vision awards to three outstanding Foundation supporters. Robert Kraft has been a loyal and generous supporter of the Foundation for many years, both personally and through the Robert and Myra Kraft Family Foundation. As Chairman, CEO, and Founder of Neuro, and as a private philanthropist, Diana Jenkins has been a wonderful patron of EJAF’s work and events in the U.S. and in the U.K. Likewise, Joseph Blount has also been an ardent benefactor to the Foundation since its inception.

CNN journalist and New York Times best-selling author Anderson Cooper hosted the gala dinner for a sixth consecutive year, and legendary singer Stevie Nicks performed. Also, Jamie Niven of Sotheby’s conducted a live auction featuring such one-of-a-kind items as a Jean-Philippe Delhomme portrait; “Big Bear,” the largest canvas from Matthew Brandt’s Lakes and Reservoirs series; two Andy Warhol Cow screenprints; lunch for two with Anderson Cooper; two best-in-house seats and backstage passes to Alec Baldwin’s Broadway performance of Lyle Kessler’s Orphans; and a week-long stay for up to 16 people at the Castello di Santa Eurasia in Italy.

“The AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not. The AIDS epidemic is fueled by stigma, by hate, by misinformation, by ignorance, by indifference. Science has accomplished miracles over the past 20 years, and science can now end this disease – but it cannot end the epidemic. We need more than medicine,” stated Elton in his keynote speech. “We can do something about these things. We need to speak out about the changes we need to make in our society. We have spoken out. And we will continue to speak out.” The Foundation raised $2 million (£1.24 million) at the event.

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