In honor of Elizabeth Taylor’s 85th birthday this Monday, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation has released a short video celebrating the late movie star’s legacy in film and philanthropy.
“Elizabeth’s passion and courage in finding a cure for AIDS was ferocious,” model and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland said of her close friend and mentor. “She was a glamorous Hollywood icon, and yet she chose to take a path in life that would alienate her from so many, because she knew that to watch people suffer from this disease and not do anything about it, is unconscionable. And she gave it her all and became one of the most powerful activists of all time… We all must continue the work of this beautiful and courageous woman.”
Taylor, who died in 2011, was one of the first celebrities to bring worldwide attention to the AIDS crisis. She founded the ETAF in 1991 and is credited with raising hundreds of millions of dollars to fight the disease and to treat AIDS patients.
![Studio publicity portrait of the American actress Elizabeth Taylor. Photo by studio publicity still (Dr. Macro) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/mynewsla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Taylor_Elizabeth_posed.jpg?ssl=1)
Ireland was recently named an ambassador to the foundation. She has pledged to match donations up to $100,000 with her lifestyle design firm, Kathy Ireland WorldWide.
The video can be viewed on the ETAF’s YouTube channel.
Those who wish to donate to the foundation in Taylor’s honor can do so at http://elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org/donate/ or by texting LOVE to 27722 to donate $10.
—City News Service