Elizabeth Taylor
AIDS Foundation gives $100,000 to eye institute

The Herb Ritts Jr. Memorial Vision Fund at the Jules Stine Eye Institute at UCLA will receive $100,000 from the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

The two-year-old Ritts fund assists those with HIV-related eye problems and supports AIDS-related vision care, research, and education at UCLA. Ritts, the controversial gay photographer who died in 2002, worked with the university's Gary Holland, who in 1981 was the first to describe optical effects of AIDS, to increase awareness of this subject.

The donation will enable UCLA to convert the Ritts fund to a permanent endowment, with the goal of building its principal to $1 million for greater annual support for treatment, research, and education about AIDS-related eye disease, a press release said.

"It is my hope," said Taylor in the release, "that my donation will inspire others to give to this important cause, which honors our dear friend Herb Ritts and continues his long-standing support of HIV/AIDS research." (The Advocate)