DIFFA Presents: A Tribute to Honor David Rockwell

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, November 9th, DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS will present a "Tribute to Honor David Rockwell," DIFFA Board Chairman and world-renowned New York based architect and designer, for 12 years of commitment and dedication to the organization. The honorary event, held at the IAC Building in New York City, will be hosted by fellow board member Whoopi Goldberg and feature a live musical tribute by one of David's favorite Broadway musicians, Kerry Butler of Catch Me If You Can, accompanied by acclaimed American composer, lyricist, arranger and performer, Marc Shaiman. Mary Fisher, known for her memorable speech at the Republican National Convention as a person living with HIV/AIDS, will present an award to David designed by Diller Scofidio +Renfro.

Radical Media's Jon Kamen produced a video tribute to Rockwell, which will take viewers through an incredible journey that chronicles his many milestones at DIFFA. The event will bring together some of the most talented and celebrated individuals in the worlds of fashion, interior design, art and architecture.

"We are deeply thrilled to be able to honor and thank David Rockwell," said David Sheppard, Executive Director of DIFFA. "David has a deep personal commitment to DIFFA and has been instrumental in raising millions of dollars over the course of his tenure making a large impact in our organization and the fight against HIV/AIDS as a whole."

David Rockwell has been involved with DIFFA since 1994, serving as a board member since 1996 and as Chairman of the Board since 2000. Rockwell developed and executed several initiatives, resulting in major no-cost contributions to DIFFA.  

In addition, Rockwell was able to help DIFFA expand its philanthropic outreach and maintain its position as one of the top 50 HIV/AIDS funders in the country.  Prior to his involvement with DIFFA, David founded Rockwell Group in 1984, an award winning, cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice, based in New York City with a satellite office in Madrid. The Rockwell Group focuses on a diverse array of projects that range from hotels to hospitals, restaurants to airport terminals and Broadway set designs to consumer products. The Group has also participated in DIFFA's DINING BY DESIGN, their annual blockbuster benefit where extraordinary dining environments are created by design visionaries for specific sponsors. In addition to his work with DIFFA, Rockwell serves as a board member of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and Citymeals-on-Wheels.

DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS is one of the country's largest supporters of direct care for people living with HIV/AIDS and preventive education for those at risk. Merging care and commerce, supporters of DIFFA come from all fields of fine design and the visual arts, including: architecture, fashion design, interior design, photography and consumer product design.

With fundraising efforts bolstered by strategic partnerships and unique events showcasing innovation and creativity, DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities and granted over $40 million to hundreds of AIDS service organizations nationwide. Since being founded over 25 years ago by Patricia Green and Larry Pond, DIFFA has granted funds to organizations which fight AIDS by providing preventive education programs targeted to populations at risk of infection, treatment and direct-care services for people living with HIV/AIDS and public policy initiatives which add resources to private sector efforts.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.diffa.org.

About DIFFA

DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS is one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the United States. Since being founded in 1984, DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities to provide over $40 million to hundreds of AIDS service organizations nationwide.  For more than 25 years, DIFFA has been one of the country's largest supporters of both direct care for people living with AIDS and preventative education for those at risk.

For more information visit www.diffa.org.

About David Rockwell

Long before turning his attention to architecture, David Rockwell harbored a fascination with immersive environments. Growing up in Chicago, Illinois and Deal, New Jersey, and Guadalajara, Mexico, Rockwell was a child of the theater – his mother worked as a vaudeville dancer and choreographer and cast him in community repertory productions. Rockwell brought his passion for theater and an eye for the color and spectacle of Mexico to his architecture training at Syracuse University where he received a Bachelor of Architecture degree and to his studies at the Architectural Association in London. These formative influences continue to have a strong impact on his practice.

In May 2010 Rockwell was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America. He was also honored with the 2009 Pratt Legends Award, the 2008 National Design Award by Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt for outstanding achievement in Interior Design, a lifetime achievement award from Interiors magazine, an induction in Interior Design magazine's Hall of Fame and the Presidential Design Award for his work for the Grand Central Terminal renovation.

SOURCE DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS