LCOA 2015 Gala
Eduardo Morales, actress Ana Villafañe, and designer and Cielo Honorary Chair Mondo Guerra pose for the red carpet at Cielo 2015. Credit: LCOA

Celebrities and advocates attended the 2015 Cielo Latino, which marked the 25th anniversary of the Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA). The annual gala is the largest fundraiser for Latino HIV/AIDS initiatives nationwide.

The event, which was held May 15 in New York City, featured fashion, red carpet walks, silent auctions, award presentations, music and dancing—all under the banner of the evening’s theme: “Design a World Without AIDS.”

Designer and Project Runway All-Stars winner Mondo Guerra was the honorary co-chair. He presented a gallery show of his latest fashions at the gala. FOX hit series Gotham actor J.W. Cortez and NBC 4 New York news anchor Sibila Vargas co-hosted.

LCOA crowned a new cadre of celebrity madrinas and padrinos (godmothers and godfathers). They included Miss Universe 2104 Paulina Vega and actors Justina Machado, Evette Rios and Anna Villafañe, who will make her Broadway debut later this year in the role of Gloria Estefan. Fashion designer Carlos Campos and radio personality Astra also attended.

Honorary awards were given to Dan O’Connell, director of the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute; Justin Toro, clinical social worker at the Adolescent AIDS Program at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore; and to Delta Air Lines.

LCOA 2015 Gala
NBC4 New York anchor Sibila Vargas and actor J.W. Cortes hosted the Cielo Gala at Cipriani’s Wall Street. Credit: LCOA

LCOA 2015 Gala
From left, Cielo Benefit Committee Chair Richard Gonzales with LCOA Madrinas and Padrino actress Justina Machado, Miss Universe 2014 Paulina Vega, radio host Astra, TV host Evette Rios, designer Carlos Campos and Villafañe. Credit: LCOA

LCOA 2015 Gala
Oscar Hernandez, Spanish Harlem Orchestra; Dineen Garcia, Macy’s; Guillermo Chacon, Latino Commission on AIDS and Roy Cosme, Arcos Communications rock the red carpet. Credit: LCOA