I like the Elton John AIDS Foundation because they’re extremely press friendly and very “transparent” when it comes to their contributions. They’re the Cadillac in this field. They’ve just announced a new round of grants totaling $850,000, They usually do three or four of these a year. Kudos to David Furnish, Scott Campbell and of course Sir Elton.

May 2013 Grants

AIDS United, $300,000
Now in its 4th year, AIDS United’s Access to Care Initiative is supporting 15 local partners in 14 cities to demonstrate innovative approaches to ensuring ongoing full access to medical care for people living with HIV/AIDS.  This grant from EJAF will help the Access to Care Initiative to provide funding along with technical and evaluation support to all 15 programs.

During the past three years, EJAF has allocated support for Puerto Rican organizations through AIDS United.  Now, in 2013, the full implementation of national health reform stands to drastically change the way healthcare providers and organizations do business and what kinds of government funds are available for HIV programs. EJAF funding will help organizations adapt to the changing healthcare system and to support the continuation of programs in Puerto Rico focused on preventing HIV transmission and increasing access to high quality medical care and social support services.

HarborPath Common HIV Patient Assistance Program Portal, $250,000
HarborPath’s mission is to centralize and streamline the program application process for people living with HIV/AIDS who are uninsured and have no other access to HIV medications.  HarborPath operates a central website where case managers and patient advocates can go to access HIV medications and process HIV patient assistance program applications.  This process eliminates burdensome, duplicative paperwork normally required to submit individual patient assistance program applications and ensures that medications are dispensed and delivered to patients in a coordinated and efficient manner.

SERO Project, $75,000
HIV criminalization – the use of criminal law to prosecute and extend imprisonment of people with HIV for consensual and no-risk behavior – is a discriminatory practice based in fear and shame rather than science and epidemiology. The SERO Project tracks current HIV-specific criminal cases, engages and supports those who have been wrongly prosecuted, educates communities and policy-makers, and raises broad public awareness by sharing short videos of compelling personal stories of those who have been prosecuted.

How to Survive a Plague Engagement Campaign, $125,000
The film How To Survive A Plague has received numerous awards and positive reviews, including an Academy Award nomination.  Very few documentary films reach this level of potential to touch national and global audiences.  There is now a strong demand throughout the United States for further educational screenings of the film.  This EJAF grant will support an outreach and engagement campaign to ensure that How to Survive a Plague reaches and engages the widest possible audience, especially students and young activists, to know the history of AIDS activism and to understand what it takes to make progressive social change in a democracy.

New York City AIDS Memorial, $100,000
Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, it is critical for New York City, one of the major epicenters of the epidemic in the U.S., to finally create a significant AIDS Memorial. As one of the largest HIV/AIDS foundations in New York City and the U.S., EJAF is making a leadership grant in support of the New York City AIDS Memorial.  This grant will be divided between support for the creation of the memorial and the development of educational programs associated with the memorial.

This is an update of a piece I wrote over the weekend: Mariah Carey will sing a medley of her hits– and there are a lot of them– on the season finale of “American Idol” on May 16th. Carey hasn’t performed on “Idol” this season yet. But she will debut her new single featuring Miguel, called “#Beautiful,” on Wednesday’s “Idol” May 8th. The single is already a huge hit after just a day or more in release. “Beautiful” was picked up 65 Top 40 stations and a bunch more today. You can hear it literally in every major market right now, which means by the “Idol” finale “Beautiful” may be another Mariah Carey number 1 song.

Elton John and Rod Stewart were best friends once upon a time, until they weren’t. So it was startling to see them in the same room this past Friday night at the 20th Annual Race to Erase MS at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City. It was even nicer when Sir Elton, during a seven song mini concert, gave Rod the Sod a shout out.

“Rod and I have been battling around for 40 years or so, and we’re still around and at the top of our game,” Elton declared. “I love him very much, we’ve had our differences, but in the heart we’re great mates.”

Elton entertained the star studded crowd with many of his hits including “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,’  “I’m Still Standing,” “Circle Of Life,” and ended with “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” as well as “Your Song,” “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues,'”and “Rocket Man.”

Honored at the event were Elton’s friend of 35 years, Sharon Osborne and her son, Jack, newly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The intrepid Nancy Davis, who founded the group and is also afflicted with MS, has been unstoppable to find a cure, and as she told the VIP crowd, “Ten years ago there were no drugs on the market, now there are nine drugs with FDA approval. This is a disease that can be cured and everyone wants to join in on the miracle.”

The biggest applause Nancy Davis got was when she introduced her much beloved, “amazing adorable mother Barbara Davis.” Kelly Osborne introduced her own mother Sharon who quipped, “I always wanted a medal on a ribbon, who thought it would come from MS?  I thought it would come from The Queen.”  Jack said, “Wow, this is like the bar mitzvah I never had.” There was no mention of the missing Osbourne, Ozzy, who is battling his own demons at the moment.

Others attending were a smattering of local celebs from Cybill Shepherd, Ray Romano, Anne Heche, and Amy Yasbeck to “Dallas” star Linda Gray, Josh Hopkins, new “Mad Men” star Harry Hamlin with wife Lisa Rinna, Nikki Haskell, Cat Deeley, and so on. The dinner raised $1.8 million for MS research.

Rod Stewart’s new album, called “Time,” is released tomorrow. I’d like to say I’ve heard it, but I haven’t since no one has sent it or even sent a press release about it. I’ve asked three times for it, and it just never arrived. Legacy artists complain about the record business, but this is the situation. It’s a find-it-yourself deal now. So you can listen to Rod’s album streaming live on Amazon.com right now, the whole thing for free. I’m doing it now, and really enjoying it. There are a couple of very commercial tracks, like a lovely ballad “It’s Over” and a nice mid tempo “She Makes Me Happy.” Rod co-produced and co-wrote the album, so it’s a change from his last decade of ballads. There’s a lot of mandolin and guitars. I’m digging “Brighton Beach” right now. Rod is forever. Think of this as a live blogging review. Also thumbs up on “Beautiful Morning.” Good work, Rod! Now: will fans buy new music from older stars? They did with David Bowie. Based on what I’ve heard of “Time,” they should try Rod out.

Here’s Rod Stewart’s show from the Troubador recently. I just discovered that it was also streaming live on YouTube. Maybe they should hire a publicist:

Leonardo DiCaprio could learn a thing or two from Jay Gatsby about throwing parties. Last night’s “Great Gatsby” party at the Top of the Standard was obnoxious and ridiculous, a waste of time for anyone who wanted to be home watching “Mad Men.” The party followed a screening at the Museum of Modern Art for celebrities who either didn’t make the premiere at Lincoln Center or were suddenly in town to attend Anna Wintour’s daft “Punk” party tonight at the Met. Director Baz Luhrmann and actress Carey Mulligan attended and introduced the film, but Leo couldn’t have been bothered– he was absent totally from MoMA. And Tobey Maguire was simply AWOL without explanation.

“Gatsby”–which cost at least $150 million– opens Friday in a crowded field with “Iron Man 3” booming and “Star Trek” looming.

Then to the party, where Di Caprio’s p.r. decided the Reserved section of the club wasn’t reserved enough. So he moved it to the back corner of the room, and stationed large bodyguards at the entrance. Still, the hoi polloi could see in to the space, which is like a big sunken living room facing windows, where Luhrmann chatted with Oliver Stone, Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry hung out with Kristen Wiig, and Mulligan made small talk with someone. A crowd formed including the photos who were hired for the night. Everyone gaped and stared. One journo observed: “I feel like we’re watching animals in the zoo.”

I didn’t feel like playing the Lou Grant surprise birthday game last night. That’s the one where Mary keeps asking Mr. Grant if certain individuals may be allowed entrance. “You know Rhoda. Can Rhoda come in?”

Ironically, a few stars either didn’t want to go into the celeb pen or weren’t invited. David Schwimmer and Michael Shannon, who’ve been promoting “The Iceman,” remained in the public area and seemed quite contented. Schwimmer introduced me to his lovely wife, Zoe, and was a lot of fun. Oliver Stone actually hung out by the bar for most of the night. Perry commanded her own section, with no restrictions, in a far corner until she was invited into LeoLand.

Newly minted Tony nominee Billy Magnussen, from “Vanya and Sonia,” stopped in and had a glass of Champagne to toast his cast. Cuba Gooding, Jr., also on leave for the night from his Broadway show, “The Trip to Bountiful,” came by with “Game Change” and “The Butler” writer Danny Strong. Dan Stevens, of “Downton Abbey” fame, introduced me to his wife. Russell Simmons, looking a little dazed by the disorganization, wandered about and left.

Two very tall, lithe models from Sweden, real beauties, said hello in unison.

“Did you like the movie?” I asked.

“What movie?” they said.