VIDEO: Cynthia Erivo Performs 'If You Knew Susie' and 'Let It Be' at AFTD's 2017 Hope Rising Benefit

The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) hosted the second annual Hope Rising benefit at The Pierre Hotel on Thursday, October 12. The evening's program concluded with a four-song set from Tony Award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo, who most recently starred in The Color Purple on Broadway.

Ms. Erivo's first song, "If You Knew Susie," was dedicated to the memory of Susan Newhouse. Ms. Erivo capped her performance with "Let It Be" by the Beatles, dedicated to Si and Victoria Newhouse. Watch her perform both songs below!

The benefit co-chairs were Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., David Geffen, Donald Newhouse and Anna Wintour. Top editors from the Condé Nast family, including Ms. Wintour, David Remnick (The New Yorker), Cindi Lieve (Glamour) and Amy Astley (Architectural Digest) joined hundreds of generous donors and advocates at the event.

After a cocktail reception, the evening's program began at 7:30 with an introduction from TV journalist Paula Zahn, who served as host and master of ceremonies. Ms. Zahn gave a moving speech explaining what FTD is and how it has affected so many families, including the Newhouse family-most recently with the passing of Si Newhouse on October 1, 2017. Ms. Zahn then introduced a video created by Discovery Communications, a key partner of AFTD's. The video was designed to raise awareness of FTD, the most common form of dementia for people under 60.

Donald Newhouse spoke about FTD's impact on his own family: it tragically took the lives of both his wife, Suzy, and his brother, Si. In their honor, Mr. Newhouse presented AFTD's Susan & Si Newhouse Award of Hope to U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader.

In his remarks accepting the award, Senator Schumer spoke of his friendship with both Si and Don Newhouse and spoke on the importance of federal funding for medical research. Senator Schumer pledged to support FTD research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation's leading medical research body; the Department of Defense; and through other initiatives. Following Senator Schumer's remarks, dinner was served.

After dinner concluded, Dr. Halima Amjad, a geriatrician and researcher at Johns Hopkins University whose father has FTD, and Susan L-J Dickinson, AFTD's CEO, spoke to explain the work AFTD and the medical community are doing to address this devastating disease. Ms. Dickinson screened a new movie from Joe Becker, "VJ and Chuck," which captures one couple's journey with this disease. She then announced a new $20 million funding commitment from the The David Geffen and Samuel I. Newhouse Foundations, which each pledged $10 million toward the cause.

The evening concluded with a dessert buffet, and guests were encouraged to take home their Hope Stones-heart-shaped stones with "Hope" written on them-to commemorate the evening's aspirations for a future without this disease.

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