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BEVERLY HILLS -- Cyclist/cancer survivor Lance Armstrong estimates 36 million yellow LiveStrong bracelets have been sold to raise money for his cancer foundation. Among the wearers: Courteney Cox, whose 8-month-old daughter, Coco, has taken a unique interest in Mommy's $1 wrist band.
''When you have a kid, there are certain things she just wants to chew on,'' said Cox, who along with her husband, David Arquette, and old friend Lisa Kudrow were among the celebs on hand Tuesday night to applaud Armstrong as he received the 2005 Courage Award at Saks Fifth Avenue's Unforgettable Evening black-tie gala.
''I lost my mother to breast cancer,'' Arquette said. ''So this event definitely speaks to my heart.''
The annual fundraiser for women's cancer research at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel was hosted by Robin Williams, who during the pre-show dinner treated the celebs gathered at his table (including Tom Hanks and Dennis Miller) to a rendition of the naughty cartoon-character song he was banned from performing at Sunday's Oscars.
''In the end, when they say no, you can either move forward or jump into the abyss,'' Williams said of his Academy Awards dilemma. With coaxing, Williams offered up a sampling: ''Snow White's been up all night,'' he sang. ''That should give you an idea.''
It's not easy getting celebrities to slip back into their formalwear two days after the Oscars -- unless you're Claudia Schiffer, who was wearing the dusty-rose dress she had hoped to wear to the Academy Awards before being sidelined by the flu. ''I had a really high fever and had to stay in bed,'' she said.
The evening's musical entertainment was supplied by Armstrong's lady love, Sheryl Crow. She described her beau as ''the best person I've ever known, my best friend.''
The six-time Tour de France winner, 33, overcame prostate cancer in 1996. He gets annual checkups. ''There are times of the year I get nervous,'' he conceded. ''But I go to the doctor and get a simple blood test.''
In a live auction conducted by Jay Leno, Hanks bid $5,000 for a pen Armstrong used to autograph a bicycle and helmet.
Crow was actually booked by event organizers Rita Wilson and Kate Capshaw a year ago, before they chose Armstrong as their honoree. On the red carpet, Wilson was shocked to see actress Kelly Lynch wearing an exact replica (in midnight blue) of her black Richard Tyler gown. ''This is vintage, like 15 years old,'' a wide-eyed Wilson explained. ''How weird is that?''
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