A Virtual Celebration: 10 Years of Great Ladies

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) celebrated the Tenth Annual Great Ladies Luncheon on May 6, 2020, raising over $450,000 dollars in support of our mission to rapidly accelerate the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s. The engaging and informative event, hosted by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, celebrated a decade of science and fashion.

Andrea Mitchell kicked off the event with an intimate conversation with Dr. Howard Fillit, Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of the ADDF, on the impact of COVID-19 on Alzheimer’s patients and their families and caregivers. 

Following the interview, there was a lively discussion on the latest research developments between Dr. Fillit and longtime ADDF friend and board member Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton, a leading neuroscientist in the field of Alzheimer’s research and Director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Innovation in Brain Science. Drs. Fillit and Brinton have been studying Alzheimer’s for over forty years and have often collaborated over the past several decades.

“The ADDF has supported Dr. Brinton’s program since 2005, and we’re proud of the fact that she recently received a $37.5 million grant from the National Institute of Aging to support her work,” said Dr. Fillit.

Dr. Brinton’s research focuses on the bioenergetic and regenerative systems of the brain.

“There’s been a whole community of dedicated and persevering scientists and clinicians who have been working for decades. We’re here now, and we’re ready to go,” Dr. Brinton added while discussing the strong momentum within the field.

Washington Capitals’ TJ Oshie Introduces New Round of Honorees

The program also featured 2019 Great Ladies Award recipient T.J. Oshie, a hockey player for the Washington Capitals and 2018 Stanley Cup winner. Oshie, whose father suffers from the disease, continues to advocate for the ADDF: “We need effective treatments to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s, and I believe the ADDF is the organization that will help find us the cure.”

He then previewed next year’s award recipients: Thomas Pheasant, an internationally recognized award-winning interior designer in Washington, D.C., and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her family. The awardees will be formally recognized in person during the 2021 event next year in Washington.

Fashion and... a Surprise Message

A retrospective look at fashion highlights from the fabulous runway shows of the previous Great Ladies Luncheons was accompanied by a surprise tribute to Elise Lefkowitz.

Charlie Lefkowitz Crowley, daughter of Founding Executive Chair of the Great Ladies Luncheon Elise Lefkowitz, introduced the video and surprised her mother with a special message. “Ten years ago, my mom had a vision to create a wonderful tradition to unite families battling this terrible disease and raise funds to bring us closer to a cure,” said Lefkowitz Crowley.

Back in 2011, Elise Lefkowitz founded the Great Ladies Luncheon in honor of her mother, Estelle, who suffered from Alzheimer's for 15 years. To watch the fashion segment, click here.

The Great Ladies Luncheon would not be possible without the generous support of Founding Executive Chairs Elise and Marc Lefkowitz, Leonard A. Lauder, and Ronald S. Lauder. Over the past ten years, the Great Ladies Luncheon has raised over $4 million to advance the ADDF’s mission of accelerating the discovery of drugs to treat, prevent, and cure Alzheimer’s. 100% of the proceeds funds drug research programs.

The full event can be enjoyed online here.