Two Ten Footwear Foundation is making big plans for its 78th annual fundraising dinner and gala, themed around “One Team: Connecting Generations.”
The event, which is set for Nov. 29 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, is being chaired by BBC founder Bob Campbell and his son, Seth Campbell, VP of international sales for the BBC. It’s the first time a father-son combo will helm the fundraiser.
“Not only are we co-chairs, we also represent two generations of our ever-evolving industry,” Bob Campbell said. “And just like our business, the footwear industry feels like a family — one family, one team. It’s always been that way; it’s what I love most about footwear. And I want to be sure we all understand how essential it is to nurture the next generation of industry leaders. That’s what Two Ten Footwear Foundation is all about, and that is what the 2017 Two Ten Gala represents — recognizing, building and strengthening our connections across the generations.”
Seth Campbell added, “What an incredible honor it is to co-chair the gala with my father and mentor. I am really excited to represent the next generation of our industry, and to do it in such a symbolic way is fantastic. We are looking forward to doing some new things this year, to rally my peers and colleagues around Two Ten in ways that haven’t been done before, while reinforcing our connection to the industry’s revered leaders.”
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At the gala kickoff event on May 31 — hosted by Titan Industries CEO and Two Ten board member Joe Ouaknine — the Campbells announced their generous leadership gift of $200,000 and set in motion 20 lead gifts, including those from Wolverine Worldwide, Steve Madden, Aldo, Caleres, New Balance, H.H. Brown, Foot Locker, Micro-Pak Ltd., Nordstrom, Nine West, Weyco, Clarks, DSW, shoes.com, Titan Industries, Zappos, FN Platform, Birkenstock and Camuto Group. All told, the donations totaled $1.2 million — a record for the launch event. Overall, the group hopes to raise $3.6 million this year.
“This year’s theme, ‘One Team: Connecting Generations,’ truly captures the spirit of the 2017 gala — multiple generations of our industry working together to help change the lives of thousands of shoe people,” said Neal Newman, president of the 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 the loss of a job or death of a family member. The Two Ten Gala is our entire industry coming together, and this year led by our longtime friend and leading philanthropist Bobby Campbell and his son, Seth.”
The Two Ten Gala will begin with a VIP Dinner in the grand ballroom for 500 key footwear players. The group will present three awards: the T. Kenyon Holly Award for outstanding humanitarian achievement, the AA Bloom Award for dedication to Two Ten Footwear Foundation and the Two Ten Social Impact award for commitment to giving back to the footwear community.
Downstairs, a larger group of up to 2,000 people will gather for cocktails at a high-energy event with activations developed by co-chair Seth Campbell and the Two Ten Associate Board — a newly established group of 16 next-generation industry leaders. The entertainment will include Miami DJ SubZero.
