Cure Addiction Now brought Los Angeles the hope and inspiration it needed in 2025.
Co-founder Nancy Davis hosted a starry night that uplifted the spirits of the community and brought along with it awareness and much needed funds to be applied to innovative research for substance use disorder.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Jaina Lee Ortiz, Alex Meneses, Lisa Vidal, Gina Torres, and Constance Marie attend Cure Addiction Now’s Inaugural Fundraising Evening on February 24, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Cure Addiction Now)
The nonprofit welcomed nearly 300 guests to The Beverly Hills Hotel for its Inaugural Fundraising Evening, which raised $800,000. Moved by the cause, guests took time to honor those who were lost to SUD as much as those who are battling to get to better days.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Terry Dubrow and Heather Dubrow attend Cure Addiction Now’s Inaugural Fundraising Evening on February 24, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Cure Addiction Now)
A cocktail reception was followed by a seated dinner, live auction and special performances by Rufus Wainwright, Siedah Garrett, David Foster, Madison Love, Colin Love, Scout Willis, and Luke K, with featured sponsor partners L’agence and Wild7Films with founder producer/actor Kyle Stefanski in attendance.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Scout Willis performs onstage during Cure Addiction Now’s Inaugural Fundraising Evening on February 24, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Cure Addiction Now)
“It’s important to me as someone who has been touched by addiction and having intimate relations with people who are addicts. To support something on such a deeply profound level not only helps to find a cure but also helps normalize and bring openness to the subject,” Willis reflected on the red carpet.
Davis during the dinner took the stage to thank guests for their support at the first-ever fundraising event for the organization.
“I want to thank each of you here tonight for coming to support this cause. I’m so proud to be here to honor my precious and caring son, Jason, who passed away five years ago today.” as she spoke about her son’s struggle with addiction before sharing, “It was Jason’s dream to create new, affordable medications to help stop cravings, and vaccines to stop opioid addiction… I am so proud and grateful to say that since Jason’s creating this organization, we’ve been able to fund 19 studies.” She added, “Addiction is the leading cause of death in our country for people 48 years old and younger; one person in the US dies every five minutes of an overdose…We need to understand that addiction is a disease, not a choice.”
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Rufus Wainwright performs onstage during Cure Addiction Now’s Inaugural Fundraising Evening on February 24, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Cure Addiction Now)
CAN Board Member Lisa Vidal brought the room to tears with her shared story about her son’s years-long battle with addiction, saying from the podium, “I am here as part of Cure Addiction Now to make a difference, to fight for my son, to honor my baby boy…he was a good boy. He wasn’t what people think about addicts. Addicts are people that are suffering and this is a disease.”
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Siedah Garrett performs onstage during Cure Addiction Now’s Inaugural Fundraising Evening on February 24, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Cure Addiction Now)
Madison Love and Colin Love kicked off the evening’s performances by performing their original song, “One More Day,” with David Foster on piano. Shaun Robinson introduced Siedah Garrett who performed a powerful rendition of “Man in the Mirror.” While onstage, Garrett revealed that she had performed the same song in the same location almost exactly five years ago at Jason Davis’ funeral.
Rufus Wainwright provided guests with a moving performance featuring songs “Going To A Town,” “Across the Universe,” and “Hallelujah.” The evening’s next performer, Scout Willis, was introduced by James Tupper. Willis performed her original songs “Over and Over” and “Last Night.” Megan Holiday took the stage to share her personal experience with addiction and introduced Luke K who closed out the evening with his original song “Poison.”
CAN is transforming the landscape of addiction treatment through science-driven research and innovation. CAN has assembled a collaborative group of esteemed doctors who are part of the Cure Addiction Now team that represent Mount Sinai, Harvard, Yale, University of Maryland, UCLA, Scripps, University of Washington, UC Davis, University of Kentucky, Johns Hopkins, and University of Texas Medical Branch. To date, the organization has funded over 19 groundbreaking studies, focusing on goals such as developing therapies to stop the craving mechanism in the brain, making detox easier and affordable for everyone to achieve sobriety and funding vaccine research.
Central to CAN’s mission is the commitment to removing the shame and stigma surrounding addiction and seeking help, ensuring individuals feel empowered to pursue recovery without judgment. Recognizing the deep connection between addiction and mental health, CAN emphasizes that substance use disorder is not merely a physical dependency. It is a disease often intertwined with mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and trauma. By integrating mental health into its research and treatment strategies, CAN is forging a holistic approach to recovery—addressing both the physical and psychological factors that contribute to addiction.
Sponsors of the event included L’AGENCE and Wild7Films. L’agence dressed guests for the night including Bijou Phillips, Jackie Tohn and Ashley Benson. Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino were featured on the gala tables.
For more information on how you can join the cause, please visit HERE.
