‘Fame’ Star Debbie Allen Recalls Early Days of AIDS Epidemic: ‘I Lost Half of My Dance Company’

Debbie Allen took center stage at Project Angel Food’s Angel Awards Sept. 29 in Hollywood, honored with only the second Humanitarian Angel Award in the nonprofit’s history.

Project Angel Food was launched by activist Marianne Williamson in 1989 to help bring healthy meals to those afflicted with HIV/AIDS in the Los Angeles area. It has since expanded to provide medically tailored meals to people suffering for all types of illness and food insecurities. 

“Project Angel Food has a very special place in my heart, because ‘Fame’ is a big part of my life,” Allen said. “I lost half of my dance company to AIDS, and that was tough. That was hard. And to have an organization that at its beginnings, that’s the focus and the core … to help those who are being treated like [they have] leprosy and not allowed to be part of the team. And I’m so grateful for that.”

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The Emmy-winning actress, producer, director and choreographer was recognized for her decades of philanthropic work, which includes launching Los Angeles’ Debbie Allen Dance Academy and the Debbie Allen Middle School.

“This is ground zero towards humanity. It’s something that we need to remember, something that we got to get back to. We kind of lost our moral spine in this country. We not our brother and our sisters’ keepers anymore. We have to go and give back to those who are in need and those who can’t help themselves,” Allen said.

“To just bear witness to [Allen’s] achievements is to know what can be done, which is so important for the young lives that she touches,” said her “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star Jesse Williams, who presented the award to Allen.

“She has been an advocate for people, no matter where they come from, no matter who they are,” said Whoopi Goldberg, who appeared in a video honoring Allen.

“She’s an icon. She is one of those trailblazers and visionaries that will always, always deserve to be celebrated and recognized,” said actress and singer Deborah Cox, who closed the event with a rousing series of hits, including “I’m Every Woman.”

L.A. Care Health Plan and its CEO John Baackes were presented the Sheryl Lee Ralph Legacy Award, while actor Matt Bomer received the organization’s Angel Award for his work with Project Angel Food. He accepted in a pretaped video.

“I apologize for not being there in person. As it turns out, this was also a parents’ visitor weekend at our son’s first semester of college. So I did what any Angel Award winner would do. I chose to scream my voice horse with our son at a football game in Texas,” Bomer said. 

He went on to describe how impactful the organization’s work had been on his family.

“One of the great things about my husband, Simon Halls, and I being involved in this organization … has been introducing our sons into the volunteer program,” Bomer added. “I’ll never forget the smile on our oldest son kids face when he came home after his first volunteer experience. He felt so good about himself. He knew that he had done something that made a difference in someone’s life. It’s a moment that greatly impacted him. To this day, when I asked him what makes him the happiest, it always involves helping others.”

“Fellow Travelers” writer and producer Ron Nyswaner noted Bomer’s legacy in the industry.

“When he came out of the closet, it wasn’t so fashionable. It wasn’t fashionable at all, and he was risking a career,” Nyswaner said. “And imagine going to school, dreaming of becoming an actor. You’re a young actor, you’re rising, you’re getting jobs, and you say, ‘I’m going to take the risk.’”

The gala evening raised $877,946. Allen herself donated $25,000 on the spot, and several live auction items garnered big dollars. A private dinner for eight with Bomer went for $10,000, while a Harry Hamlin-made, Lisa Rinna-bartended dinner went for $10,000.

Richard Ayoub, the CEO of Project Angel Food, highlighted how the funds will help fuel the ongoing expansion of the organization’s campus — which will include a larger kitchen to facilitate meals for three times as many clients.

“We’re in the middle of a capital campaign here at Project Angel Food,” Ayoub said. “Because we have outgrown our facility and more people need us. We’re making 1.5 million meals a year [now]. With this capital campaign, we’re going to be able to make 4.5 million a year.”

“Project Angel Food serves people, not statistics,” actress Emily Ozment said. “I mean, the statistics are overwhelming. 18 million meals served over the last 35 years, 2,700 clients served every single day. But behind these numbers are real people, each with their own story.”

Actor Tim Bagley was a direct beneficiary of one of those stories. When his partner was dying of AIDS in 1995, Project Angel Food stepped in to make sure he had the food he needed.

“When my partner passed away … I was pretty overwhelmed, and I didn’t call them right away to tell them,” Bagley said. “I just would think, ‘I’ll call them tomorrow. I need them to help me with the food today.’ I just kept putting it off for about two weeks, and then when I finally called the kitchen and told them I’d been eating the meals. They said, ‘We know. We’ve been sending those for you.’”

During the gala, actor Jeremy Piven and his sister, director Shira Piven, premiered the trailer for the upcoming film “The Performance,” based on the short story by Arthur Miller. The movie, set for release in December, follows a Jewish tap dancer recruited to perform for Adolf Hitler in 1930s Germany. Jeremy Piven likened the bravery it took to launch Project Angel Food to that of the characters in the film.

“It’s l an example of someone just not waiting for the okay from someone else … getting food to people that you know needed it,” he said.

“We both come from theater,” Shira Piven added. “There are so many people that I knew personally that were affected [by HIV/AIDS], and I get emotional thinking about it.”

The expansion of the Project Angel Food campus is expected to be completed in 2027, though some upgrades will finish by 2026.