WASHINGTON -- Grammy Award-winning artist Patti La Belle will be the featured entertainer when the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) honors U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, (D-Iowa), Sheila C. Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, and Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D., President of Research and Development, Executive Vice President, and Chief Scientific Officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb for their efforts to bring national attention and resources to lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects 1.5 million Americans.

Presenting the awards will be U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, (R-Pa.); Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health; and Sally Susman, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, Pfizer Inc. Notable guests will include Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in-Chief, Essence Magazine; Randall Winston, Executive Producer, "Scrubs," and a LFA Board Member, and Mercedes Yvette, 2004 Runner-up, America's Next Top Model.

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Dr. Annette Shelby and Congressman John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Debbie Dingell are the 2008 Honorary Chairs of the gala, which this year has raised more than $1.4 million for lupus research and education programs. U.S. Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah), Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) and Leslie Meek, Esq. are the Honorary Congressional Committee Chairs.

Other members of Congress and Congressional staff, national corporate leaders, federal officials, national women's and health organization representatives, research scientists, and individuals with lupus are among the expected 600 guests.