Charity Buzz
Making Merry at L.A.'s Carousel of Hope Benefit
"Every comedian's dream is an audience more famous than he is," Jay Leno noted drily at the 32nd anniversary Carousel of Hope gala in Beverly Hills on Saturday night. With Tom Hanks, Stevie Wonder, Sidney Poitier, and Anjelica Huston in the crowd, not to mention Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez making their first official appearance as a couple, there was certainly enough star power to keep the Tonight Show host on his toes. Picking up the benefit's Brass Ring Award, California First Lady Maria Shriver explained, "You can't say no to Mrs. Davis." The Mrs. D in question is Barbara Davis, who founded the biennial event with her late husband, Marvin, and has raised more than $75 million for diabetes research and care. This year's festivities, which included a silent auction that spanned multiple ballrooms, a live auction, and dance-inducing performances from Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Gladys Knight, and Akon, raised close to $2.5 million for the cause. "It really is the highlight of the charity season in L.A.," Rita Wilson said. And even in a town built on competitive one-upmanship, no one was arguing.
