In the first months of 2024, the U.S. has experienced relative calm when it comes to natural disasters. But that doesn’t mean Two Ten Footwear Foundation is getting complacent.
After supporting fire relief efforts in Maui, Hawaii, last year — among many other programs — Two Ten is looking to refill its coffers at its annual gala this week in New York.
“The gala caps off a year of fundraising and it’s what prepares us for what could be coming up,” said Barbara Clement, vice president of marketing and communications for the shoe industry’s leading nonprofit organization.
The event will be held on Tuesday, June 4, at a new location — The Glasshouse on 12th Avenue in Manhattan. The night kicks off at 6 p.m. with a VIP gathering for board members and special partners, with a general reception to follow at 7 p.m.
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At least 650 guests are expected to attend the main reception, including leaders from companies such as Caleres, Wolverine Worldwide, Skechers, New Balance, Foot Locker, Michael Kors, Rack Room, Shoe Carnival, Zappos and many more.
At the party, they’ll have the chance to network with peers from across the industry, enjoy a complimentary wine tasting hosted by Cantine Fontezoppa (an Italian winery that’s part of the Falc group) and donate to Two Ten.
After raising just over $600,000 at last year’s gala, Two Ten has already surpassed $500,000 in corporate donations and hopes to garner another $150,000 in gifts during the evening.
Two Ten president and chief executive officer Shawn Osborne expressed confidence its fundraising goal is achievable. “It should be a very inspiring night, and I think people will want to give in recognition of our special honoree. I’m hopeful we’ll see a lot of excitement around it,” he said.
During the evening, Two Ten is set to honor Caleres executive chair Diane Sullivan with the Bob Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition that is bestowed only once every five years. The award will be presented by Seth Campbell, corporate president of BBC International and Bob Campbell’s son.
Also set to speak are some of Two Ten’s scholarship grant recipients.
In addition to its disaster relief efforts, the nonprofit is dedicated to supporting footwear families faced with financial hardship or those seeking support with educational goals.
“This year, Two Ten will give out about 1,500 grants, with the majority of those being personal hardship. Evictions and foreclosures have been a big reason for why people have turned to us this year,” said Osborne. “And on the education side, we’ll give out about 150 scholarships this year.”
Interest in Two Ten’s education program has increased recently.
This year, it received its largest number of scholarship applications, and Osborne pointed to a growing trend of footwear workers applying for help with career development. For instance, over 40 percent of its scholarships now go to employee scholars, versus youth scholars.
“In the past, it was only a small percentage compared to grants for the children of employees,” he said.
Two Ten also has expanded its WIFI grants, which are available exclusively for women and help support all manner of professional development opportunities, whether that’s Arsutoria design programs, leadership training, human resources certifications, supply chain logistics courses and much more.
“We’re trying to be more responsive to the generational shift in the workplace, and part of the experimentational around the WIFI grant has been understanding what Gen Z employees want from us that maybe hasn’t been on our radar,” said Clement.
But while she acknowledged Two Ten’s increasing focus on professional development, Clement was quick to turn the spotlight back to the organization’s disaster relief and the need to prepare for whatever Mother Nature has in store for 2024. “We’re still doing our core work of focusing on community and opportunity, but the original premise of Two Ten is that we’re there when you need us,” she said.
Champion sponsors of the Two Ten annual gala include Micro-Pak, Huayang International, Powerich and Zilsen.
