The 26th annual White Party Week was bigger than ever and the last event at Vizcaya in Miami, Florida lived up to every expectation. The three guys above were just a few of the thousands that danced the perfect night away and closed a legendary chapter in gay history. Attired in gleaming white, couples and groups of mostly gay men sailed through clouds of bubbles and into Vizcaya for the annual Miami, Florida White Party. They packed the Renaissance-style villa, promenaded in the formal moonlit gardens, and watched a variety of circus acts and elaborate drag performances, as they bid farewell to one of the most spectacular backdrops imaginable.

For 25 years, Vizcaya has hosted the event, which has become the largest fund-raising event for HIV/AIDS in the world. This summer, though, Care Resources, the event’s organizer, announced that the 2010 Thanksgiving weekend bash would be the last.  The  $50,000  rental fee was cited as the reason.

The White Party is considered the crown jewel of a week’s worth of “circuit” activities and attracts thousands of gay visitors to Miami Beach. The men have Vizcaya; the women held their own “Women’s White Party” as well, at Nikki Beach.

The Miami White Party is an annual fundraiser party for HIV/AIDS research. The all-white clothing theme was chosen by co-founder Frank Wager because, as he said, “White stands for purity. White is elegant, non-political, non-combative and makes people look just plain beautiful.” The Miami party began as a small fundraising event for the Health Crisis Network in 1985, bringing in a total of $16,000. Today it’s now the largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser in the world. With DJs and artists attending from all over the world, the music has come to be renowned and a central part of the party.

White Party Week Miami has been featured in W, Vanity Fair, Glamour magazine, The New York Times, and has been the subject of documentaries on Bravo, The Travel Channel, the BBC, Playboy Channel, and others. It is the setting for the 2001 documentary film When Boys Fly.

The MIAMI HERALD dubbed him “the high priest of gay parties.” GENRE MAGAZINE lists him as “Circuit Master.” NEXT MAGAZINE describes him as “the sultan of soirees.” And CIRCUIT NOIZE MAGAZINE simply calls him “the man.” With every accolade, Jeffrey Sanker further solidifies his name as the global gay community’s premier producer for nightlife and entertainment.

Jeffrey Sanker is the founder of LA-based Jeffrey Sanker Entertainment, Inc. and creator of such signature events as WHITE PARTY PALM SPRINGS; New Year’s Eve celebrations in Los Angeles, Miami & Rio de Janeiro and the One Mighty Party at Orlando’s Gay Days.

Sanker has been credited by the MIAMI HERALD as being “the father of the modern gay circuit party.” Nowhere is this more evident than with Sanker’s trademark extravaganza: White Party Palm Springs, which has evolved into the most widely recognized gay celebration on the planet and attracts more than 30,000 attendees from every corner of the globe.

Sanker’s passion for parties began during the early eighties in New York City. Working at such legendary locations as Studio 54, Palladium and Private Eyes, he fine-tuned his skills as a promoter and special event producer. He hosted parties for numerous celebrities, including Keith Haring, Calvin Klein, Grace Jones, Boy George, Madonna, Divine and Liberace.

In 1987 Sanker traded cold winter snowstorms for sunshine and palm trees. He relocated from New York to California and set out to work his magic in Los Angeles. Using landmark venues such as The Palace, Studio One and Arena as his palette, Sanker created trend-setting themed events that breathed new life into the scene. He revolutionized local gay nightlife by creating “Hollywood Boys Club,” exclusively comprised of his most fashionable, upscale and loyal clientele, thus adding instant cache to any event bearing his name.

Since then, his promotions have transformed countless other venues across Los Angeles from the Factory Nightclub, to the Wiltern and Mayan Theaters, to the Abbey, Area, Arena, Avalon, Circus, Eleven, Factory, Foxtail, Here Lounge, the Mayan and Wiltern Theaters, and most recently, My House.

In 2004, Jeffrey Sanker helped launch the first alternative nightclub on the world-famous Las Vegas strip, KRAVE.

Superstar entertainment has become a hallmark of Sanker events. Over the years, such legends as Jennifer Lopez, Toni Braxton, Kelis, Anastacia, Natalie Cole, Marky Mark, Grace Jones, RuPaul, Deborah Cox, Boy George and even WICKED’s Edina Menzel have all performed live for his patrons.

Sanker’s reputation for both discovering and working with world-class DJs (including Victor Calderone, Junior Vasquez and longtime friend Manny Lehman) prompted NEXT Magazine to comment: “the two best friends a DJ can have are Madonna and Jeffrey Sanker.”

Sanker has proudly produced fundraising events on behalf of numerous charities and community organizations. Along with David Cooley, he founded The Abbey’s Oscar party, “The Envelope Please,” benefitting APLA. In recent years, he’s sponsored fundraising events for Project Angel Food; Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing and The Trevor Project.

Sanker currently resides in Los Angeles. You can visit his official website at JefferySanker.com