Following the death of &lt;a href="HIV/AIDS"&gt;HIV/AIDS&lt;/a&gt; spokesperson and friend Ryan White in 1993, Jackson used his celebrity to bring global attention to the AIDS epidemic, notably through his friendship with Ryan and his charitable efforts with Elizabeth Taylor. Michael also pleaded with the Clinton administration at Bill Clinton's inaugural gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research, and performed "Gone Too Soon", a song dedicated to White, and "Heal the World" at the gala. In January 1994, Jackson "opened his Neverland Ranch in a Martin Luther King's Birthday celebration for 100 inner-city children who excelled in school". In 1995, after reading newspaper accounts of the death of a 22-month-old boy, Jackson was moved to donate an undisclosed amount to a fund for the family set up under the auspices of the St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California. An early supporter of gay rights, in February 1997, Jackson donated a HIStory Tour jacket and an autographed souvenir book for a fundraising auction in support of Hawaii's first Gay and Lesbian Cultural Festival.