Cielo Latino 2010: Rosie Perez, Lin Manual & More Fight Against AIDS

By Sugey Palomares

The stars were out in full force at the 15th Annual Cielo Latino benefit gala on Tuesday (May 11) in NYC!

Celebrities including “In The Heights” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernández, Dayana Mendoza, Rosie Perez, Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” director Kenny Ortega, and so many more walked the red carpet.

This wasn't just an excuse for celebs to mingle with Latino elite — it was an opportunity to publicly support Latino Commission on AIDS, the largest annual fundraiser dedicated to raising funds for HIV/AIDS awareness in Latino communities.

(View all our photos from the red carpet in our Cielo Latino gallery)

Get all of the gala gossip, including exclusive interviews with your favorite estrellas and more, after the jump!

Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernández has definitely proven to be a deserving title-holder since taking the AIDS fight to global measures. She spoke exclusively to MTV Tr3s about the importance of educating our youth about the deadly affects of AIDS:

"I was very excited to join this fight. I recently got back from the Dominican Republic where I toured different schools to advocate for AIDS education and awareness. I would tell them, I am also 19-year-old just like you and it’s so important to know about the disease and how to protect yourself. I’m also planning to travel to Africa to also promote AIDS awareness there."

Fernández wasn’t the only pageant queen walking the red carpet in support of the mission. 2008 Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza also expressed her support to the cause.

Although the Venezuelan beauty no longer holds the Miss Universe crown, she is still very dedicated to making a difference:

"This organization feels like family to me. Even though my role as Miss Universe has ended, my fight against AIDS has not. I feel like as human beings we all need to add our own grain of sand to this effort. It’s not about doing this for photos or interviews, but because change really needs to happen and it starts with us."

CNN anchor and special reporter, Soledad O’Brien hosted the special event, which kicked off with a tango performance by Mano a Mano. The dancers’ Lady Gaga-inspired outfits designed by Latino designer Victor de Souza captivated the audience almost as much as the passionate Argentinean moves. Lin-Manuel Miranda also hit the stage in honor of director Kenny Ortega, who received the Ilka Award for his fight against the disease.

In regards to being honored, Ortega exclusively told us:

"It feels incredible to be out here tonight. So many people are benefiting from this amazing organization. I’m honored to be associated with it...I am helping through education and making people aware."

The evening ended with an emotional speech from Rosie Perez, who declared her deep admiration for advocate Dennis DeLeon.

The tears were flowing across the room, but Grammy-nominated Yerba Buena made sure everyone ended the evening swaying to salsa and hip-hop beats on the dance floor. Their performance definitely made it on our ‘favorite moment’ list. We couldn’t think of a better way to end the evening!

To get more information on Cielo Latino and find out how you can join the fight against AIDS/HIV visit www.latinoaids.org/cielo.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Cielo Latino 2010, event, In the Heights, Kenny Ortega, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Photos, recap, Rosie Perez, Soledad O’Brien