The People in Red Barcelona Charity Gala raises 978.456 euros for the Fight Infections Foundation

Fight Infections Foundation held the 15th edition of the People in Red Barcelona Charity Gala this evening, Monday, May 12, at the MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya), raising 978.456 euros to fight infectious diseases. The event brought together nearly 800 people, including sponsoring companies, institutions, and celebrities from the social, cultural, and political spheres of the country for the same cause.

Model Martina Klein and former tennis player Alex Corretja were the ambassadors of the most international edition to date, which featured canadian-american Rufus Wainwright and Rigoberta Bandini as guest artists.

Among the attendees were actors and actresses Marc and Aina Clotet, Natalia Sánchez, Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Hiba Abouk, Patry Montero, and Albert Baró; singers Joan Manuel Serrat, Alfred García, and Guille Milkywaw; content creators Dulceida, Laura Escanes, and Marta Díaz; renowned journalists Marc Giró, Jordi Basté, and Helena Garcia Melero; and from the business sector, Markus Haupt, interim CEO of Seat and Cupra, Tatxo Benet, president and CEO of Mediapro, and Emilio Rousaud, founder and general director of Factor Energia.

This edition also saw the attendance of Salvador Illa, president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Josep Rull, president of the Parliament of Catalonia, Jaume Collboni, mayor of Barcelona, and Olga Pané, health minister of the Generalitat, among other authorities.

All these personalities and entities join the fight led by Dr. Bonaventura Clotet and Dr. Roger Paredes against infections such as HIV, COVID-19, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), neglected diseases, severe bacterial infections, and infections in immunocompromised patients. It is important to note that 100% of people will suffer at least one infection in their lifetime. Therefore, it is a fight that affects everyone.

For the first time an international artist participates in the People in Red Barcelona Charity Gala

This year, for the first time, the event featured a top international artist like Rufus Wainwright. The canadian-american singer-songwriter, known for his unique style that blends baroque pop, opera, and folk, performed a concert of 4 iconic songs, such as Hallejujah, accompanied by his piano.

On the other hand, Rigoberta Bandini welcomed the guests with her new hit ‘Pamela Anderson’ and performed the second song of the night ‘Vuela’ before dinner.

Finally, DJ Fede Sardà and award-winning mixologist Manel Vehí from Boia nit Events delighted the attendees with excellent music and cocktails, respectively.

Sílvia Abril and Andreu Buenafuente, hosts of the evening

Once again, People in Red Barcelona enjoyed the collaboration of Andreu Buenafuente, who hosted the event with Sílvia Abril under the direction of El Terrat (The Mediapro Studio).

La Fura dels Baus flies over the sky of Barcelona

For the second consecutive year, the internationally renowned theater company La Fura dels Baus offered an innovative performance during the aperitif on the panoramic terrace of the MNAC. ‘El Fénix y el pájaro’ is one of their recent artistic creations that represents the hope of continuing to fight against infectious diseases after 15 years of the Charity Gala.

Additionally, one of their acrobats flew over the sky of Barcelona with a musical performance representing the rebirth of the Fight Infections Foundation research, which is increasingly broad and facing more challenges.

Michelin-starred gastronomy

Renowned Michelin-starred chef Nandu Jubany, along with his team from Jubany Events, provided a top-level gastronomic experience.

The fight infections, a continuing Battle

The main goal of the People in Red Barcelona Charity Gala is to inform and raise awareness about the challenges society currently faces in combating infectious diseases, as well as to raise funds for the research of the Fight Infections Foundation.

These seed funds are used to strengthen projects led by research teams in various areas. This year, the Foundation led a study published in The Lancet concluding that the most lethal variant of mpox can cause a mortality rate of over 4%. At the same time, a clinical trial studying plasmapheresis for treating long COVID concluded that this technique is not effective for treating the disease. Additionally, a pioneering project was launched to improve the quality of life of people with HIV through an abbreviated geriatric assessment, allowing for a quick evaluation of the health status of elderly individuals with the same effectiveness but in less time.

Currently, the Foundation is carrying out pioneering and internationally impactful projects to protect citizens from an avian flu pandemic, reduce mortality from respiratory infections and infections in immunocompromised patients, and achieve a cure for HIV infection, among many others. In short, the funds raised will be crucial to accelerate all these projects, which significantly affect low-income individuals or those suffering from discrimination.

Who made People in Red Barcelona possible

Many people and companies collaborate with the People in Red Barcelona Charity Gala to promote cutting-edge research in the field of infectious diseases. Fundación SEAT CUPRA, Grifols, Osborne Clarke, Fundació “la Caixa”, Mesoestetic, Nieves Energia, MAC and Eurofirms are some of the companies that make this charity event possible.