On May 8, 2025, at the Ritz Carlton, West End, The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s 15th Annual Great Ladies Luncheon and Fashion Show, featured designs by Toccin.

Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease.

The Great Ladies Luncheon brings together a who’s who of Washington to celebrate that work and honor leaders in the field of Alzheimer’s research. Elise and Marc Lefkowitz launched the Great Ladies Luncheon to celebrate the legacy of Elise’s mother, Estelle Gelman, a well-regarded businesswoman, civic leader, and philanthropist.

The Great Ladies Luncheon Founders Elise and Marc Lefkowtiz, Great Ladies Chair Charlie Lefkowitz Crowley, Vice-Chair Kristen Rae Cecchi, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation CEO Mark Roithmayr, ADDF Co-Founder Dr. Howard Fillit, Toccin Co-Founders Alex and Michael Toccin and journalist Andrea Mitchell were all in attendance. Attendees were treated to a seasonal lunch and a sensational runway show sponsored by Saks Fifth Ave., featuring stylish looks from Toccin.  The high-profile philanthropic gathering is revered for its dedication to raising significant charity funding annually for Alzheimer’s research. This year’s proceed are estimated at nearly $800,000.

The spring luncheon arrives at an incredibly exciting moment for Alzheimer’s science, with multiple promising drugs now available and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s markedly improved. As such, this year’s honorees Dr. Howard Fillit, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the ADDF, and Eisai Inc., are recognized for their immense contributions to Alzheimer’s science. Dr. Fillit has shaped Alzheimer’s science and continues to lead the way towards the future of treatment with his focus on combination therapies and precision medicine. Eisai Inc., developer of the dementia medication Aricept and Leqembi, one of the first disease-modifying Alzheimer’s drugs, as well as for its commitment to early diagnosis, biomarker innovation and global collaboration

The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer’s, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. All proceeds from the event directly support promising science, advancing the ADDF’s mission to stop Alzheimer’s in its tracks. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has funded over 750 Alzheimer’s drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 20 countries. To learn more, please visit: www.alzdiscovery.org.

Photos by Tony Powell.