An Evening with Sir Elton John

Giants of screen, stage and television gathered to support AIND/Giant Steps School and the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, both of which are dedicated to helping children. This once-in-a-lifetime fundraiser, titled Beyond the Yellow Brick Road, attracted more than 600 attendees and featured appearances by Brian Williams and Nathan Lane. The highlight of the special evening was a heartfelt ninety-minute performance by Sir Elton John. The more than $1 million raised in this one night will be shared equally between the two charities. Giant Steps CT is a Connecticut State– approved private school in Southport for students, ages three to twenty-one years, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and/or other neurological impairments. With funding from this event, AIND will further develop its campus and expand its programs to offer adult services and comprehensive therapies to a broader population. The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, founded by Paul Newman, is an international family of camps and programs that provide life-changing experiences to children with serious medical conditions and is always free of charge.

Sir Elton John

Left photograph by by T. Charles Erickson, right photograph by Debra Somerville

Jill Mullen, Roger Tarika, Tom Mullen, Clea Newman Soderlund, Bevo Tarika and Emily Gordon

photograph by by T. Charles Erickson

Dr. Margaret Bauman, founder of MGH LADDERS/Lurie Family Center for Autism, director of TARF, medical director of AIND/Giant Steps; Kathy Roberts, executive director of Giant Steps CT; Matthew Goodwin, director of Clinical Research, MIT Media Lab, Nathan Lane

photographs by by T. Charles Erickson

Elton John and Joanne Woodward Newman

photograph by Debra Somerville