Elton John party raises $5.1M for charity

The 16th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party raised $5.1 million in Los Angeles Sunday night, the foundation announced Monday.

The Oscar night gala, which was held at the Pacific Design Center and co-sponsored by Chopard and VH1, was one of the evening's best attended parties, organizers said.

Guests included Marion Cotillard, Tom Wilkinson, Amy Adams, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi, Sean Penn, Patricia Clarkson, Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford, Josh Groban, Faye Dunaway, Sean Combs, Seal and Heidi Klum, Prince, Kate Beckinsale, Billy Joel, Courtney Love, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Petra Nemcova, Jeremy Piven, Roberto Cavalli, Minnie Driver, Simon Cowell and Herbie Hancock.

Also attending the event, which included dinner, a musical performance by Elton John and a live auction, were Natasha Henstridge, Larry King, Eric McCormack, Jason Lewis, Jonny Lee Miller, Brett Ratner, Jason Retiman, Rupert Murdoch, Jennifer Coolidge, Russell Simmons, Cheryl Tiegs, John Waters and Ziyi Zhang.

John and his partner David Furnish were the gala's hosts.

Established in 1992, the non-profit foundation said it has raised more than $125 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and service programs in 55 countries around the globe.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International