17th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Party Celebrating the Academy Awards Raises Nearly $4 Million

As is tradition, immediately following dinner, auctioneer Jamie Niven of Sotheby's led the evening's live auction. Items auctioned included the opportunity to dance with Ellen DeGeneras on her Emmy Award winning talk show, which sold for $20,000; two jewel encrusted 10th Anniversary Elton John AIDS Foundation collection watches designed by Chopard went for $250,000 each; a one-hour tennis lesson by tennis champion Andy Roddick sold at auction for $31, 000; taken directly for the Academy Award stage was the "Milk" soap box used by Hugh Jackman in his opening homage to this years' Best Picture nominees; and a three-day, four-night stay at the Normandy, France home of the Forbes family, Chateau de Balleroy, sold for $80,000.