The US-based charitable foundation announced that it raised 3.15 million US dollars with its 2015 VIP Dinner, Auction and Annual Gala. Money will be used in its activities with the community. Surpassing all previous revenue records, over 175 footwear companies raised funds through sponsorship opportunities, ticket sales, live auction bids and donations to support Two Ten’s Emergency Fund. Both events, chaired by Jim Issler of H.H. Brown, continued a 76-year legacy of shoepeople “passing the hat” in support of footwear families in need. The two-event format kicked off on the 1st of December, with a VIP Dinner and Auction sponsored by FFANY with roughly 400 footwear executives and celebrities. Three industry icons were honored, including Kevin Donahue of Quabaug, who received the first ever Social Impact Award for his work to establish the Footwear Warriors Scholarship Fund. Louise Camuto accepted the T. Kenyon Holly Memorial Award on behalf of her late husband Vince Camuto, and Debbie Ferrée of DSW received the A.A. Bloom Memorial Award for her years of service to the Two Ten Footwear Foundation. The festivities continued on 2nd of December at the Annual Gala, gathering 1 700 members of the footwear community. “The fact that we were able to break a fundraising record speaks volumes about the character and conviction of the great people in our industry”, commented Diane Sullivan, Chair of the Two Ten Board of Directors and CEO, President and Chairman of Caleres. Besides this two-events, over the past year, Two Ten has been involved in several community activities, resulting in the distribution of 1.6 million US dollars to footwear families in crisis and in the awarding of 870 000 US dollars in higher education and professional development scholarships to 310 members of the footwear community.
