Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Family and Interior Designer Thomas Pheasant Honored at ADDF’s Annual Great Ladies Event

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) honored former U.S. Supreme Court Justice and ADDF Honorary Board Chair Sandra Day O’Connor and her family and internationally-recognized interior designer Thomas Pheasant at its 11th Annual Great Ladies Symposium and Virtual Event on April 28. Supporters gathered to learn about the latest developments in Alzheimer’s drug discovery and celebrate this year’s honorees, raising over $460k for Alzheimer’s research.

Special guests included broadcast journalist Andrea Mitchell of NBC News and MSNBC and Jane and Aerin Lauder, executives at the Estée Lauder Companies and daughters of ADDF Co-Chairman and Co-Founder Ronald S. Lauder.

The ADDF, in partnership with Elise Lefkowitz, who founded the event in honor of her mother Estelle Gelman, has hosted the Great Ladies event for over a decade. As Elise welcomed guests, she reflected on her mother’s legacy, remarking that the Great Ladies event has “made a great impact, and I hope that this event will continue until the day we have a drug that stops Alzheimer’s.”

The annual event has offered a one-of-a-kind experience, combining high fashion and cutting-edge science, and honoring extraordinary Alzheimer’s advocates, including former first lady Nancy Reagan, famed basketball coach Pat Summitt, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, and Washington Capitals team member and Stanley Cup winner T.J. Oshie. This year, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and her family were presented with the Great Ladies Award.

Accepting the honor on behalf of their family, Justice O’Connor’s sons, Scott and Jay O’Connor, provided a heartwarming tribute to their mother and her work advocating for Alzheimer’s research. Jay remarked, “Our family is grateful for the work the ADDF does to advance Alzheimer’s drug discovery. We need to find a treatment or cure, and ADDF is playing an invaluable role in finding the most promising avenues for research.”

Thomas Pheasant was honored with the event’s second annual Estelle Gelman Award. In an interview with longtime ADDF-supporter Andrea Mitchell, Pheasant reflected on his connection to Alzheimer’s. “Like many families, my family was impacted twice by Alzheimer’s. There’s fear, anger, and beauty, believe it or not, because the person you’re losing does come back in moments. I am delighted to support ADDF because we have to find a cure. I’m honored to receive the Estelle Gelman Award, but I’m more honored to participate and do what I can do to advance Alzheimer’s research and drug discovery.”

In a special appearance, Jane and Aerin Lauder reflected on their grandmother, Estée Lauder, and the immense impact she had on their lives. “Estée was able to build this incredible business from sheer determination and passion. Her perseverance and persistence still inspire me today,” shared Jane Lauder.

Jane and Aerin Lauder shared how Estée’s legacy continues to influence the Lauder family’s philanthropic endeavors. Aerin Lauder noted, “Philanthropy has always been an important part of our family, with my aunt Evelyn Lauder creating the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and my uncle and father founding the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation in 1998. I’m so proud that 100 percent of funds raised by the ADDF go to research. It’s just really extraordinary.”

Guests also took part in the event’s annual Symposium to Conquer Alzheimer’s. Moderated by Dr. Howard Fillit, ADDF’s Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer, and featuring Dr. Frank M. Longo, founder of PharmatrophiX and Chairman of Stanford University’s Department of Neurology, and Kent Leslie, Chief Science Officer at Amylyx, the symposium provided an overview of their phase 2 clinical trials exploring promising novel drug targets as potential treatment options for patients living with Alzheimer’s, both of which are funded by the ADDF.

The Great Ladies Event would not be possible without the generous support of Founding Executive Chairs Elise and Marc Lefkowitz, Leonard A. Lauder, and Ronald S. Lauder. Other extraordinary support was provided by the events Honorary Chairs Andrea Mitchell and Lauren and T.J. Oshie, the Ladies Benefit Committee Co-Chairs Amy Baier, Lynn Blitzer, Kristin Rae Cecchi, Dana Landow, Kelly Ripken, Lorraine Wallace and Charlie Lefkowitz Crowley, and Core Support Underwriters Shelley Banks, Faith Bobrow, Marcella Cohen, Nancy Goodes, Dena Henry, Katy Kamen, Marlene A. Malek, and Thomas Pheasant.

The Great Ladies Event is available to view here. One hundred percent of the proceeds from this event support the ADDF’s mission to accelerate the discovery and development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s.