Adidas’ Mark King will chair Two Ten Footwear Foundation’s 77th VIP Dinner and Gala.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, 2016 and will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City’s Manhattan Center.
The Adidas team will be actively supporting development and production of the festivities.
“There’s something really special about this industry,” said King, who heads Adidas North America. “It reminds me a lot of sports: We come together for common goals, work hard to achieve success, we respect our opponents and we celebrate and support our teammates. This event recognizes the unifying power of coming together as one team to support one another.”
The evening will begin with a VIP Dinner in the Grand Ballroom, with 500 of the footwear industry’s most influential Two Ten leaders and supporters in attendance.
Cocktails will be followed by an exciting program including a live auction of showcase prizes, special tributes to Two Ten clients and industry icons and presentation of prestigious awards to three outstanding industry leaders. Jay Schottenstein, Chairman of DSW, Inc., AEO Inc., American Signature Inc./Value City Furniture, Schottenstein Property Group, SB Capital Group and Schottenstein Stores Corp., will be honored with the T. Kenyon Holly Award for his outstanding humanitarian achievement; Blake Krueger, President, Chairman and CEO of Wolverine Worldwide, will receive the AA Bloom Award for his years of commitment to Two Ten Footwear Foundation; and Tacey Powers, VP CMM Nordstrom Rack Shoes, will accept the Two Ten Social Impact award for her commitment to giving back to the footwear community.
Downstairs in the Ballroom, nearly two thousand shoepeople will gather to enjoy cocktails, light fare and dancing in an environment designed exclusively for the event, with Fergie taking the stage at 9:00 p.m. Specially arranged by Two Ten board chair and Caleres CEO, President and Chairman Diane Sullivan, the eight-time Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum solo artist and vocalist for The Black Eyed Peas will electrify the crowd with a live concert.
“We have partnered with Fergie on her eponymous footwear line for over a decade, and during that time she has truly become part of our Caleres family as well a proud and supportive member of our footwear industry,” said Sullivan. “She has attended the gala in the past and generously donated to Two Ten. This year she wanted to support our industry’s foundation with her time and talent. We are both honored and appreciative, and look forward to a memorable evening.”
In addition to Adidas and Caleres, other key supporters who will help reach the $3.5 million fundraising goal for the evening include BBC International, Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY), Wolverine Worldwide, New Balance Foundation, Nine West Holdings and Nordstrom, along with numerous other generous donors.
“This year’s theme, ‘One Team,’ truly defines the industry and our 77 years of working together to help change the lives of thousands of shoepeople,” said Neal Newman, president of Two Ten Footwear Foundation. “We are indeed one team, dedicated to helping our colleagues recover from a natural disaster, a health crisis or to pick up the pieces following a death in the family or loss of a job. The Two Ten Gala is our industry’s unifying statement and, together with our friends at Adidas, we celebrate our unity and our commitment to changing lives.”
Founded in 1939, the Two Ten Footwear Foundation is the national charitable foundation of the footwear industry, providing emergency financial assistance, scholarships, counseling services and community building programs that change the lives of thousands of shoepeople in the United States every year.
