As if TIFF wasn’t enough to feed our need for all things glamorous, there will be even more glitz in Toronto this September with Sir Elton John taking center stage.
The Rocket Man has teamed up with the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) to headline Fashion Cares, a gala where fashion and charity intertwine.
John held his own prestigious AIDS foundation Oscar party last weekend and was all smiles when CTV’s eTalk anchor Tanya Kim asked him about his upcoming participation with ACT this week.
“I’m very happy about that and looking forward to it,” he said. “I have a Canadian husband. I have a Canadian son.”
Fashion Cares, chaired by Michael King and David Furnish, will feature an intimate dinner and a live show with performances by John and other notable international musicians who will be announced later this spring.
“2012 is going to be a very special year for Fashion Cares as we partner with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to transform Fashion Cares from a Toronto-based initiative into one that reaches and helps Canadians nationwide,” King said in an ACT press release.
The gala is ACT's biggest fundraiser since its inception 25 years ago. John’s AIDS foundation will also benefit from Fashion Cares, which will use funds from the event to support innovative front-line Canadian HIV/AIDS charities.
“I consider myself an honorary Canadian, and I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to vital programs across Canada through this partnership,” John said in the press release. “For both my foundation and ACT, Fashion Cares 25 provides an opportunity to pay tribute to those we have lost and to send an important message: HIV and AIDS are still prevalent both in Canada and throughout the world.”
Since 1987, Fashion Cares has contributed nearly $12 million to HIV/AIDS programs.
Tickets to the September 9 event will be on sale starting in March.