Jennifer Hudson, Sherri Shepherd, Kathie Lee Gifford, Star Jones, and "Gossip Girl" couple Blake Lively and Penn Badgely, along with other luminaries, came out to show their support to a great cause - and ET was there!

Gifford brought her "Today Show" co-host Hoda Kotb with her. Kotb told ET, "When Kathy told me the story about Denise [Rich] and her daughter and it was one of those stories that really, really touches your heart…I thought there was no place else I wanted to be tonight than right here."

The evening's gala featured performances by Robin Thicke and Estelle and honored Her Highness Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Bin Mohammed al Nahyan along with Vice Chairman of Quick & Reilly/Fleet Securities Thomas C. Quick and his sister and fellow philanthropist, Tricia Quick.

The stars not only took a stand in the fight against Leukemia, but they took a stand on the "balloon boy" incident. Shepherd said of the hot topic, "I just think it's a shame that they took advantage of America's heart." Gifford weighed in, saying, "Even if they don't take the children away from him, he'll be taken away from the children if he has to serve time. What was accomplished? He got his publicity. He got his notoriety, but at what expense?"

Created in 1996 by Denise Rich and her daughters in memory of Gabrielle Rich Aouad, who died at the age of 27 from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, the mission of the G&P Foundation is to fund medical research with a focus on prevention, treatment and quality of life issues pertaining to leukemia, lymphoma and related cancers.