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Vegas - 2016 - Issue 2 - Late Spring - Dita Von Tesse

Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.

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PhotograPhy by altf.com (Dion); courtesy of KeePing memory alive (all others on sPreaD) Keep Memory Alive's Power of Love gala attracts major talent, even luring Celine Dion out of retirement to sing "The Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli last year. In its 20 years of raising money to treat patients with neurodegenerative diseases and assist their caretakers, Keep Memory Alive's Power of Love gala draws a star-studded roster of attendees. This year, the event celebrates Tony Bennett's 90th—expect surprise performances. KMA has accomplished such feats as luring Celine Dion out of retirement to sing with Andrea Bocelli and bringing together Quincy Jones and Sir Michael Caine for their 80th birthdays. But the gala, which will attract more than 1,600 guests this year—always benefiting the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health—wasn't always a massive affair, explains Camille Ruvo, cofounder of KMA with her husband, Larry. "It started with a small celebration of life for my father-in-law, Lou [who had died the prior year of Alzheimer's] upstairs at Spago," she explains. "Jean Paul DeJoria [founder of Paul Mitchell Systems] dropped by our table, and on hearing why we were there, pledged $5,000 to Alzheimer's research." An idea was born. Once the party outgrew Spago and moved to Postrio—where Wolfgang Puck continued to donate staff and food—"It became this great dinner party where spontaneous auctions were happen- ing," she explains. One memorable auction item, in 2003, was a session with sexpert Dr. Ruth Westheimer. More recently, Cindy Crawford threw in her homemade apple pie to a retreat she MAGIC MEMORIES eep MeMory Alive's annual power of love gala is the must-attend event of the year. By AndreA Bennett SCene Gala 52  vegasmagazine.com

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