Barbra Streisand Gives $10 Million to Women's Heart Health

When Barbra Streisand hosts a fundraiser people dig deep into their pockets to give to the cause.  Set at the legendary singer’s oceanfront Malibu compound (which she shares with husband, James Brolin), guests, who paid as much as $100,000 per couple, were treated by a live performance and a speech by former US President Bill Clinton.

The money (including the $10 million Streisand donated) will go towards the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center to create a research and treatment facility at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  Her passion for the cause stems from the fact that she "can't stand inequality, whether it's about civil rights, gay rights or gender discrimination.  Even in scientific research, women are still treated as second-class citizens and to me, that's just unacceptable."   She has a very valid point.  Most research into heart disease is conducted on men even though it kills more women every year than all cancers combined.  A very sobering fact.

Among the famous guests were Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone, NBC Universal chief Ron Meyer, designer Donna Karan, singer Josh Groban (who actually sang with Streisand) and actors Josh Brolin (Streisand's stepson) and his wife, Diane Lane. 

Clinton (an advocate for heart health since having to undergo bypass surgery), who received a standing ovation, made sure to honor Streisand’s efforts during his speech saying:  "I never thought anybody could care a lot about more things than I care a lot about. She makes me look like a heartless dumb piker.  Unless your heart has been taken out of your body, you need to care about this.  Our country has always believed in being not only a laboratory of democracy but a laboratory of science and advancement, and you can't do that with a straight face and leave women out."

Sounds like a terrific evening for an equally terrific cause.