Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation Honors Hilarity for Charity and Mark Roithmayr at Sixteenth Annual Great Ladies Luncheon and Fashion Show

NEW YORK, NY - May 12, 2026 – On May 5, 2026, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) hosted its Sixteenth Annual Great Ladies Luncheon and Fashion Show at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC, honoring Hilarity for Charity with the Great Ladies Award and recently retired ADDF CEO Mark Roithmayr with the Estelle Gelman Award.

The event raised a record-breaking $920,000 to support the ADDF’s mission to accelerate the development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease. Guests also enjoyed a special fashion show featuring designs by Altuzarra in collaboration with fashion partner Bloomingdale’s.

Event Chair Charlie Lefkowitz presented the Great Ladies Award to Hilarity for Charity in recognition of the organization’s transformative work engaging younger generations in Alzheimer’s awareness, caregiving, and prevention. Lauren Miller Rogen; screenwriter, director, producer, philanthropist, and co-founder of Hilarity for Charity; accepted the award on behalf of the organization and reflected on the personal experience that inspired its founding.

“Thank you to the ADDF for this honor,” said Miller Rogen. “When my mom was diagnosed, I didn’t see many conversations about Alzheimer’s, especially among younger people. We created Hilarity for Charity to make those conversations more accessible and to support families and caregivers navigating this disease. We believe that empowering people earlier with knowledge and tools can help change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s.”

Elise Lefkowitz, who founded the luncheon with her husband Marc in honor of her mother, Estelle Gelman, reflected on the event’s enduring impact.

“We started this luncheon sixteen years ago to honor my mother’s legacy and help advance a cure for Alzheimer’s,” said Lefkowitz. “It has been incredibly meaningful to watch this event grow and support the ADDF’s work to advance new treatments and bring hope to families facing this disease. This year, we are proud to honor Hilarity for Charity for its commitment to supporting families impacted by Alzheimer’s, and Mark Roithmayr, whose leadership helped expand the ADDF’s global impact and advance an extraordinary pipeline of drugs, diagnostics, and prevention strategies.”

Accepting the Estelle Gelman Award, Roithmayr reflected on the progress made in Alzheimer’s research during his tenure at the ADDF.

“Leonard and Ronald Lauder founded the ADDF with a bold vision: that by investing in innovative science, we could change the trajectory of this disease,” said Roithmayr. “Today, that vision is becoming reality, with disease-modifying treatments, blood-based diagnostics, and meaningful advances in prevention. The ADDF’s fingerprints are on each of these breakthroughs, and so are yours.”

The event also featured the annual Symposium to Conquer Alzheimer’s, moderated by award-winning journalist Andrea Mitchell and focused on the latest advances in Alzheimer’s prevention. Lauren Miller Rogen joined Dr. Kellyann Niotis, preventive neurologist and Director of Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia Research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (IND) Florida, and Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton, Director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona, for a discussion on lifestyle interventions, emerging therapies, and precision prevention strategies tailored to individual risk.

Notable guests, including Faith Bobrow, Susan Cannaday, Kristin Rae Cecchi, Nancy Goodes, Dena Henry, Carrie Hoernig, Joan Jenkins, Marta Lastra, Bonnie Lautenberg, Elise and Marc Lefkowitz, Charlie Lefkowitz, Katy Kamen, Andrea Mitchell, Lauren Miller Rogen, Liz and Randal Sandler, Julie Silver, Laurie Silver, and Jason Zuccari, were among the supporters in attendance.

About the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)

Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease. The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding Alzheimer’s drug development, using a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF played a pivotal role in bringing the first Alzheimer’s PET scan (Amyvid®) and blood test (PrecivityAD®) to market and continues to fuel a robust pipeline of drugs, diagnostics, and prevention strategies. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded nearly $400 million to fund 792 Alzheimer’s drug development, biomarker, and prevention programs across 21 countries. For more information, visit www.alzdiscovery.org.