Fashion Cares 25 Announces 2012 Honourary Chairs

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 19, 2012) - Fashion Cares Chairs Michael King and David Furnish today announced Jeanne Beker, Host of Bell Media's FashionTelevisionChannel, John Demsey, Chairman, M.A.C AIDS Fund and Group President, The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., and Frank Giustra, President and CEO of Fiore Financial Corporation, as Honourary Chairs for Fashion Cares 25 - the spectacular silver anniversary fund-raising gala to be held on September 9, 2012.

Held at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts with creative direction by Fashion Cares pioneer Phillip Ing, the September event will present a dazzlingly theatrical evening of entertainment, fashion, and philanthropy and will feature an intimate dinner, a retrospective of the past 25 years of Fashion Cares, and a spectacular live show with performances by Sir Elton John and other high profile, international musicians. The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) and Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) will serve as beneficiaries of the event.

"David Furnish and I have set a clear objective for 2012 - to raise as much money as possible, and to make the 25th Fashion Cares Anniversary event our most successful and exciting to date. Today with the generous support of fashion industry icon Jeanne Beker and visionary corporate philanthropists John Demsey and Frank Giustra, we are one step closer to making that a reality," says King.

"While the world may have changed a lot in two and half decades, our spirits remain invincible when it comes to bringing attention to HIV/AIDS, and raising much needed funds. I'm proud to be a part of the legacy of Fashion Cares, and even more thrilled to be on board for this next exciting incarnation," said Jeanne Beker.

Frank Giustra went on to say "As a long-time supporter and friend of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, I am pleased and honoured to serve as an Honourary Chair for the silver anniversary of Fashion Cares. I look forward to helping make this the best and most successful Fashion Cares event ever, raising urgently needed dollars for HIV/AIDS initiatives across Canada."

"In the first 20 years, Fashion Cares became a hallmark event for HIV/AIDS awareness and fundraising in Toronto with the generous help of Phillip Ing, M.A.C's Vice President of Retail & Special Events. The M.A.C AIDS Fund has made almost 900 grants totaling nearly $20 million in Canada over the years. M.A.C Viva Glam is proud to return as the title sponsor of Fashion Cares 25 alongside former Viva Glam spokesperson, Elton John," concluded John Demsey.

Tickets for the event will be on sale beginning June 2012, with a complete list of performers to be announced in early spring.