BIOGRAPHY
Sharon’s charitable foundations have given life and hope to people around the world. A devoted humanitarian Sharon has long been active in her support and involvement with organizations around the world. In 1991, her sister Kelly severely injured her leg in an accident. Sharon pulled her sister out of her depression, and together they founded Planet Hope, a foundation that sponsors diverse activities for homeless children of all ages and cultures.
At the United Nations on World AIDS Day 1995, Sharon Stone announced at a press conference that she had accepted an invitation to serve for three years as Chairwoman of amfAR’s Campaign for AIDS Research. In 1998, as her term was coming to a close, Ms. Stone renewed her support of amfAR’s vital innovative research programs by vowing to continue as campaign chairman until a safe and effective AIDS vaccine is developed. Since accepting this key position with amfAR, Ms Stone has travelled nationally and internationally on behalf of the Foundation and is now their Global Chairman for Campaign Fundraising. At each of her many public appearances, she has worked tirelessly to heighten awareness of HIV/AIDS as a threat to social and economic stability and to underscore the urgent needs for continued AIDS research. Sharon is dedicated to this cause, helping to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the battle against AIDS.
At the 1998 Cannes Film Festival Cinema Against AIDS event, Ms. Stone artfully raised the bidding for an impromptu Elton John / Ringo Starr performance of “Great Balls of Fire” by offering to dance as they played. Video clips of her performance ignited television news programs worldwide, causing the event to raise over $1.2 million. This success was followed later that year by amfAR’s Seasons of Hope event at which Ms. Stone, as emcee and host, joined the Foundation in paying tribute to Clive Davis, Tom Hanks and Barbara Walters for their contributions to the fight against AIDS. This gala raised $2 million for amfAR’s AIDS research programs. Ms. Stone herself was honored at Seasons of Hope in 1999 for her outstanding contributions to the Foundation.
Ms. Stone has twice served as host and auctioneer at amfAR’s Two by Two for AIDS and Art auction in Dallas, helping raise nearly $2 million for AIDS research. In May 2000, she participated in an art auction for Phillips Auction House that raised $1.2 million, and in August 2000, Ms Stone served as host and auctioneer at Cinema Against AIDS Venice at the Venice Film Festival, where she helped raise over $500,000 and launched a special line of vanity cases that she personally designed for the luxury brand Louis Vuitton. Ms. Stone is donating 100% of the proceeds from these exceptional cases to amfAR. Most recently, in May 2008 Ms. Stone raised $10 million for amFAR’s AIDS research in Cannes. She continues to serve as a chairperson for amfAR’s annual Cinema Against AIDS.
She has also participated in the Race for The Cure, the nation’s largest fundraiser for breast cancer research.
In 1999, the AIDS Awareness Committee of Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented Sharon with a Ribbon of Hope award for AIDS awareness and education. She also received the Humanitarian Award in 2000 from the Human Rights Campaign. In 2002, Sharon received the Honoree and Recipient of Global Conference Institutes Healthcare & Medicine Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes one individual in the world who has demonstrated a profound commitment and devotion to healthcare and humanitarianism, has enhanced the quality of lives through their work and influences the course of history through ongoing contributions of health care and medicine.
Adding to her acclaim, the French Government commended Sharon the Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995 (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters). In May 2005, Sharon was elevated to Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres.
She also received the Bollywood Woman of Conscience Award in 2004 for her steadfast support of many charitable and philanthropic organizations, in particular, the Bridge Fund. Sharon Stone’s Bridge Fund mission is to promote sustainable economic development, environmental conservation and cultural heritage preservation in Tibet.
In 2004, Project Angel Food honored Ms. Stone with an Angel Award for her commitment to the Project Angel Food mission for her ongoing contributions to the fight against AIDS. Project Angel Food prepares and delivers free, life-sustaining meals daily to more than 1,600 people living with HIV/AIDS, all types of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and other serious illness throughout Los Angeles. In the same year she received a Spirit Award from the National Centre for Lesbian Rights for her support of gay and lesbian civil rights.
In 2005, Sharon was honored with the prestigious Harvard Humanitarian Award to celebrate her ten years as an advocate for AIDs research. That same year, she put her star power to use at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and raised more than $1 million in five minutes to fight the Malaria epidemic in Tanzania. Stone was also awarded Redbook’s Mothers and Shakers Award for outstanding women and their tireless efforts to impact the world.
Later, to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the gulf coast states, Sharon teamed up with songwriters Denise Rich, Mark Feist and Damon Sharpe, co-writing and producing the song entitled “Come Together Now.” She lined up a galaxy of legendary music stars who performed on the track including Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, Celine Dion, Patti LaBelle, Backstreet Boys, just to name a few.
In 2006, at the Women’s World Awards, Sharon’s philanthropic efforts were commended with the World Charity Award by Mikhail Gorbachev.
In 2007, Sharon was awarded the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award which is given to those who truly embody the fighting spirit of Ali in the race to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Her dedication to the fight against AIDS and her work with amfAR was also honored that year with the Einstein Spirit Award and the Smart Cookie Award.
Most recently, Ms. Stone was made an honorary guest at the Karolinska-Nobel Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. She presented a lecture on Health initiatives for peace for members of the Nobel Committee, students & faculty of the Karolinska-Nobel Institute at the Nobel Forum.
Sharon believes that her role is, in order, that of mother, then activist, and lastly, actress. She will undoubtedly continue to excel in her efforts through her celebrity status and use it as a productive tool to make charitable contributions to various humanitarian causes around the world. Her ceaseless energy for these causes and many others inspire Sharon to continually drive herself to achieve her ultimate goals, which are to find an end of HIV/AIDS, relieve hunger and homelessness and find peaceful solutions in a very troubled world.