• June 23, 1997
• Vol. 47
• No. 24

Good Vibes

Tossing Nerf Balls and Popping Polaroids, the Stars Frolic for Charity at the Pediatric Aids Carnival

FOR MUCH OF THE MORNING, CLOUDS lurked overhead. But as celebrity revelers began arriving at the eighth annual Pediatric AIDS Foundation carnival on June 8, the sun suddenly broke through. Mary Steenburgen credited the charity's cofounder, Elizabeth Glaser, who died of AIDS in 1994. "She wouldn't let it rain," said Steenburgen. "She was somebody who could move the sun, clouds and stars."

Not to mention a full constellation of Hollywood's most luminous, such as Jack Nicholson, Richard Gere and Courteney Cox Arquette, who provided celestial seasoning to game booths like Rubber Ducky Dash and Ping-Pong Pop. The event, cosponsored by the Milken Family Foundation and PEOPLE, raised $1.8 million from the 1,500 guests who paid $1,000 to $2,500 a ticket to stroll the grounds of media mogul Ken Roberts's Brentwood estate and sup on Sicilian subs and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

"You find a very positive vibe here," said Claire Danes, getting her Polaroid snapped with fans at the Car Wash booth. So did Téa Leoni. Pitching Nerf footballs with new hubby David Duchovny, she said, "I can't think of a better thing to do on a free Sunday afternoon."

Paul Michael Glaser, Elizabeth's widower, attended with new wife Tracy, who is expecting their first child in October. "This is about hope," the actor-director said, referring to both the baby and the bash. Brett Lykins, a 17-year-old from Atlanta who was born with AIDS, agreed. "I'm starting to think a whole lot more about living with AIDS than dying from it," he said. "I'll see you all next year."