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2006
 The
Elton’s Closet sale, co sponsored by Top
of the Rock and Saks Fifth Avenue, is held at
Rockefeller Center in New York City. The sale
features nearly 10,000 pieces of clothing and
accessories donated by Sir Elton and David Furnish.
The sale raises almost $750,000 and is attended
by crowds of enthusiastic shoppers.
World Team Tennis and the Elton John AIDS Foundation
teamed up once again for the 13th annual Advanta
WTT Smash Hits (inset). This year’s event
was held in Hershey, Pennsylvania and was presented
by The Hershey Company. Over $850,000 was raised
for EJAF, making this the most successful event
of the series. A portion of the proceeds will
stay in the local communitywith the National AIDS
Fund distributing grants to local groups through
The Greater Harrisburg AIDS Fund.
EJAF fundraising in the US and the UK reaches
$100 million raised, making it one of the 20 largest
private philanthropic HIV/AIDS grant-makers.
2005
 July
4th Elton John performs with Patti LaBelle at
the Philadelphia Freedom Concert & Ball (inset).
This landmark event attracts more than 1.5 million
people, making it the largest free outdoor HIV/AIDS
awareness event ever held. It raised $1 million
for the EJAF US and UK branches. Elton was honored
with the City of Brotherly Love Award, which was
presented to him by Mayor John Street.
The Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalogue “fantasy
gifts” section features a private Elton
John Concert. The sale of this once in a lifetime
concert experience raises $1.5 million for EJAF.
EJAF conducts a strategic review of its grant-making
programs and the status of the AIDS epidemic domestically
and internationally. Armed with this data, EJAF
prioritizes funding initiatives targeting HIV
prevention in poor communities of the Southern
U.S. and the Caribbean, among young people, among
gay black men, among injection drug users, and
among people newly released from prison.
2004
EJAF joins the Syringe Access Fund with Levi Strauss
Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Tides
Foundation. Together, these funders create a $1
million pool for syringe exchange and harm reduction
programs nationwide.
2003
 EJAF
continues to grow with its largest annual income,
$4.5 million raised, and $3.5 million distributed
in grants.
EJAF chosen as “charity of the quarter”
by Delta Airlines, the first AIDS charity recognized
by Delta, which resulted in over 1 million air
miles being donated to the Foundation.
“At Home with The Osbournes,” a co-benefit
with EJAF and the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer
Foundation raises $250,000 for the two foundations
(inset).
2002
 Elton
John becomes the official M.A.C. Viva Glam spokesperson.
The sale of Viva Glam products benefits the M.A.C.
AIDS Fund.
Sir Elton John appears before the Senate Health
Committee, at the invitation of its chairman,
Senator Edward Kennedy, to galvanize support as
Congress considered measures that would appropriate
anywhere from $500 million to $2.5 billion for
the global fight against AIDS (inset). Sir Elton
passionately asked the committee, “When
our lives are done, won’t we want it to
be said that we saw millions of people suffering
with disease, millions more at risk, millions
more abandoned, a whole continent in danger of
dying, and we refused to let it happen.”
The first annual An Enduring Vision dinner is
held in San Francisco, sponsored by AT&T and
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Now its fifth year, An
Enduring Vision has since become a major source
of funding for EJAF.
1999
Delta Airlines becomes an official sponsor of
EJAF.
1998
Elton John delivers the keynote address for the
CNN World Conference in Atlanta, GA. Elton’s
presence helps to bring world attention to the
growing AIDS pandemic.
Two International Grants are awarded: the Female
Sex Workers Voucher Project and International
AIDS Vaccine Initiative. The sex workers voucher
program allows free sexual health services for
female sex workers in Nicaragua. The International
AIDS Vaccine Initiative was formed by the Rockefeller
Foundation to facilitate funding for promising
HIV/AIDS vaccine research and to advocate government
commitment to such research.
EJAF funds a group of HIV/AIDS prevention public
service announcements targeted at young gay men.
These messages are shown on MTV, Vh1 and BET.
1997
Elton John receives the CARE International Humanitarian
Award for his inspired and steadfast commitment
to people living with AIDS and HIV. Past recipients
of this prestigious award include President Jimmy
Carter, Ambassador Andrew Young, and Ted Turner.
Slatkin & Company introduces the Elton John
series of scented candles. A portion of the proceeds
of the sale of these candles benefits the Foundation.
1995
Oliver Peoples releases the first edition of the
Elton John Limited Spectacles in March 1995, with
a portion of sales donated to EJAF. This creative
fundraising idea resulted in four unique frames
being sold worldwide over a five year period.
EJAF makes its first international grant to Population
Services International for HIV prevention work
in Thailand.
1994
EJAF and The National AIDS Fund collaborate to
fund and administer the only HIV/AIDS related
Americorps program as a private/public partnership.
The program provides individuals a salary to work
for HIV/AIDS related non-profit service providers.
1993
Sir Elton establishes a sister foundation in
London, to support work in Europe, Africa and
Asia (see www.ejaf.com).
The first annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy
Awards fundraiser is held at Maple Drive Restaurant,
Beverly Hills. EJAF’s Oscar night benefit
has since become one of the Foundation’s
most visible and successful annual fundraisers.
EJAF votes to grant $1.6 million to the National
Community AIDS Partnership (now the National AIDS
Fund or NAF), thus beginning the Foundation’s
longstanding collaboration with NAF. This grant-making
partnership enables the cost effective distribution
of grants to US communities and populations most
impacted by HIV/AIDS.
The first annual Smash Hits tennis fundraiser
is produced by World Team Tennis and EJAF Board
Members Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss. The
inaugural Smash Hits occurs in Los Angeles. This
all star tennis benefit has since raised $8 million
for EJAF and local AIDS organizations in its host
cities around the country. Participants have included
Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Martina
Navratilova, Anna Kournikova, and many others.
1992
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is established
and incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia. Its founding
mission is to provide funding for programs that
provide services to people living with HIV/AIDS
and educational programs targeted at HIV/AIDS
prevention and/or the elimination of prejudice
and discrimination against HIV/AIDS affected individuals.
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