Hold a Gala!That's what the Barnstable-Brown family has been doing for 18 years, in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby.
The party has been named by People Magazine as one of the top 10 parties in the country, and by Gold Magazine as one of the top parties in the world.
Over the years, the Pre-Derby Gala has donated more than $1 million in matchable funds to the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky for diabetes research.
The Gala is hosted by Patricia Barnstable Brown and her sister Priscilla Barnstable in honor of Patricia's late husband Dr. David Brown, an alumnus of UofL's medical school. Dr. Brown was diagnosed with diabetes in 1990, underwent a kidney transplant, and succumbed to the disease in 2003.
This years' guests included some recognizable names:
From the entertainment industry - Petra Nemcova*, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jaime Pressly, Dennis Hopper, Bobby Flay, Stephanie March, Stacy Keibler, Gilbert Gottfried, Jerry O'Connell, John Hensley, Stone Phillips , and radio star Delilah.
From the music industry - Ashanti, Ciara, Bow Wow, Tommy Lee, Nick Lachey, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Travis Tritt, Eddie Montgomery, Jewel, Smokey Robinson, ZZ Top, Michael McDonald, Chaka Khan, and Jermaine Dupri.
From the sports world - Serena Williams, Peyton and Eli Manning and their father Archie Manning, Apolo Anton Ohno, Carson Palmer, Kyle Boller, Tom Brady, and Bode Miller.
* Model Petra Nemcova wore a Grey Goose Vodka hat (shown above) created by fashion designer Eric Javits that will be auctioned on eBay this week. All proceeds will go to the Barnstable-Brown Foundation. Visit eBay here to witness bidding. (Update: The hat sold for $816.51.)
