Over $4.4 Million Raised At One Night Charity Event In Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS - June 19, 2015 - PRLog -- This past Friday was the ultimate, star-studded night of glamour, glitz, wining, dining and generosity that Las Vegas may have ever seen.

Larry Ruvo, founder of the Keep Memory Alive charity, and Director for Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada kicked off the 19th annual Power of Love Gala to a celebrity and VIP crowd, honoring Andrea Bocelli and his wife, Veronica.

Music divas like Caesars’ headliner Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, and Martina McBride performed, as did Robin Thicke, Quincy Jones, and George Benson. Vegas showgirl personality Holly Madison made an appearance, as did actress Sharon Stone, Siegfried and Roy, Suzanne Somers with husband Alan Hamel, and “The Sopranos” star Steve Schirripa and his wife, Laura.

The event raised over $4.4 million dollars for work and research at the downtown Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a facility that fights Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative brain diseases.

Festivities took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with the hotel space transformed from sports and concert venue into a fairytale for 1,500 of the most elite guests. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and Wolfgang Puck chefs catered the 4-course dinner, with 150 sommeliers and bartenders pouring the finest of cocktails and wines.

Director of Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits, Francesco LaFranconi, developed four cocktails for Las Vegas’ owned Azzurre Spirits, with the brand front and center at the best table in the house.

Azzurre Spirits Cocktails served at the Power of Love Gala were as follows:

Azzurre Cool Water - Azzurre Gin, fresh citrus, Green Chartreuse, TyKu cucumber-flavored sake served martini style with a mist of blue curacao brine

Looking for The Answer - Azzurre Gin, fresh plums and mint flavors with a touch of plum wine

Because We Believe - Azzurre Vodka, Aperol, Vittone Bianco Vermouth served over a large ice cube

The Mind Keeper - Azzurre Vodka, fresh blueberries and strawberries, Pimm's Blackberry and Elderflower with a splash of Tintero Moscato

The night was moving and emotional, but truly belonged to Italian superstar Andrea Bocelli, who sang a number of personal favorites, and ended his performance with a duet, featuring Celine Dion. The crowd was in tears, applauding them with cheers and a standing ovation.

Donations were in abundance for the evening, with officials at NV Energy making a generous donation to Ruvo’s charity for $1.3 million. Twelve couples each shelled out $200,000 apiece for an Italian tour, guided by Andrea himself, including with a visit to the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and a concert at his home.

According to celebrity reporter, Robin Leach, George Clooney’s London party invitation to join him, new wife, Amal, Cindy Crawford, and tequila partner, Rande Gerber was purchased for top dollar, after spirited bidding by two people for $100,000 each. Two others paid $45,000 a piece for private tennis lessons with Andre Agassi, and a one week vacation at David Copperfield’s paradise estate in the Bahamas sold for $100,000.

Azzurre Spirits founder Dan Pettit joined the cause with his generous contribution of $100,000, making Ruvo’s event one of the most successful charity nights ever to occur in Las Vegas.

Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Toby Cosgrove commented to media: “We are facing one of the greatest health crises in modern time. There are no cures. There are few good treatments. More and more Americans are aging into the high-risk years for movement disorders and memory loss. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and age-related dementia are rising to all-time highs.

“These are diseases that rob individuals of independence and identity. We are providing hope and launching a massive, all-out effort to discover new treatments and cures. Right here in Las Vegas, the Brain Health Center is offering the largest group of clinical trials currently underway anywhere.”

Azzurre Spirits is proud to support such a worthy cause, and looks forward to continued involvement with charitable causes in the coming year.

About Azzurre Spirits

Made for the most discerning of spirits enthusiasts, Azzurre Spirits vodka and gin contain no added sugar, are naturally gluten free (contains no grains), and are minimally distilled and filtered to retain the flavors that nature had intended.  Azzurre Vodka is already a four time gold medal winner, including triple gold from the 2014 Micro Liquor Awards, 94 points from Tasting Panel magazine, and 90 points from the Beverage Testing Institute. Released in December 2014, Azzurre Gin recently received a 93 point rating from the Beverage Testing Institute.

Azzurre Spirits is currently distributed through Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada.  To learn more, please visit AzzurreSpirits.com. Sales inquiries may be directed to Azzurre Spirits at 702-330-4810, or sales@azzurrespirits.com.