TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Jenny Peters

ALL FOR AIDS: It was Hot in Hollywood on Saturday night, as ``My Name Is Earl'' Emmy nominee Jaime Pressly led the charge at the first annual AIDS Healthcare Foundation fundraiser held at the Henry Fonda Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Remembering her favorite uncle, who died of the disease, Pressly hosted a gang of television stars who mobbed the stage to let it all hang out with a series of song-and-dance numbers that got the place rockin'.

Pressly's ``Earl'' co-star Nadine Velazquez took home the prize for most moxie, belting out ``Do the Conga'' and improvising funny lyrics as she forgot the real ones; Emily Deschanel (``Bones'') warbled ``Almost Paradise'' with co-star Eric Millegan; Glenn Howerton from ``It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' wowed the packed theater with an impressive version of ``Ziggy Stardust''; and ``Passions'' star Eric Martsolf made disco fever look good with a rousing rendition of ``Night Fever,'' unbuttoned shirt and all.

Others to join in the evening's high jinks by leading live auctions and pushing for donations for the foundation that continues the battle against AIDS were Donald Faison, Tina Majorino, Holland Taylor, Shar Jackson, Paula Marshall and Peter Paige, and we spotted America Ferrera, Victoria Justice and Katie Loh-

mann in the crowd, too.

There were lots of laughs and some lively bidding wars as the night progressed, then Pressly got deadly somber.

``Everyone came here tonight to see a celebrity make an (expletive) of themselves,'' she said gravely. ``And that was fun. But remember that we're here to remember that AIDS is still a serious disease that affects millions of people's lives every day. We've been given a lot by Hollywood, and we need to remember that it isn't all fun and games when you get famous. You've got to give something back, too. I've vowed to do this every year that they will let me, so let's all meet back here next year and keep fighting this horrible disease until we find a cure.''

Sounds like a good plan.

BY THE BOOK: When ``CSI: NY'' star Hill Harper starts talking about education, people in Hollywood listen.

After all, he's a public-school graduate who went on to Brown University for his undergraduate degree, then to Harvard for both a law degree and a master's from the Kennedy School there. It's quite an intellectual pedigree for an actor, and one that he used to write his book ``Letters to a Young Brother,'' the first building block of his MANifest Your Destiny Foundation.

The second is his Adopt-a-School Initiative, a plan to get celebrities to adopt a public school for a year, as mentors and financial sponsors of book-giving projects. That's what Saturday's garden party at R.J. Cutler's Hollywood Hills estate was all about, and it drew a crowd of well-heeled supporters.

``We're all connected in this world, and ultimately, in a society where we don't make sure that we take care of those who have less than us, we will all ultimately fail,'' Hill exhorted.

Emmy nominee Jaime Pressly is already signed up, and she worked the partygoers relentlessly, tapping Lance Bass and his newly revealed boyfriend Reichen Lehmkuhl, ``Crash'' star Shaun Toub, Dash Mihok of the upcoming ``Hollywoodland,'' actress sisters Ashley and Courtney Peldon, and Tamala Jones for contributions.

Henry Simmons, he of ``NYPD Blue'' fame and currently starring in the new CBS courtroom drama ``Shark,'' summed up how everyone felt about the cause, in between bites of his ahi tuna taco.

``Hill has the right idea,'' said Simmons, who got a bachelor's degree in business before becoming an actor. ``We've all got to help make sure kids in America get a chance at a good education.''

Amen to that, brother.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) VELAZQUEZ: Took first prize for most moxie.

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

(2) HARPER, PRESSLY: Educating the celebrity masses

Jenny Peters