Legendary Motown-era talent executive, Suzanne de Passe, once told me, “it’s important to do good, especially as you are doing well.” This is one of the reasons I love the 4th quarter. The charity galas are kicking into gear and I’m glad to have the opportunity to give back. There’s no better feeling than partying with a purpose.
Last night, The Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. hosted its 19th Annual “On Our Feet” fundraising gala at Chelsea Pier to benefit their educational initiatives and the other programs supported by the Foundation. It was my first time attending this unique event where the dress code is black tie with sneakers!
Since its inception, the Foundation has always been firmly committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Its mission is to inspire and empower youth culture by creating, developing, and supporting innovative educational programs that encourage health and well-being through physical activity. Through its contributions, leadership and effort, TFLF strives to help young people achieve their goals and succeed in life.
Here are some other charities and events I’m honored to support this season:
Jazz Foundation: This organization supports jazz & blues musicians in need of emergency funds by connecting them to performance opportunities in schools and throughout their communities. I love this organization. On Saturday night I had the pleasure of attending their annual loft party, which featured some of the best jazz musicians around. Shout out to Bonin Bough and his 92-year-old jazz musician father, Martin Bough. Even though the event is over, you can still donate to the Jazz Foundation here. (p.s. Martin Bough’s photography is having a renaissance. I highly recommend you take a walk down this beautiful memory lane.)
Sing For Hope: The Sing for Hope foundation provides custom painted pianos throughout NYC parks and neighborhoods each summer. Their goal is to spur community access to the arts. The pianos are then donated to local schools, hospitals, and community centers in what is considered the largest outdoor art installation of its kind. SFH has a fantastic and inspiring founding team and board. I also believe there is a big opportunity for brands to connect with SFH. They’ve had massively Succesful campaigns orchestrated with brands like Mini Cooper in the past. Their annual gala is Monday, October 28th in NYC: https://singforhopegala2019.splashthat.com/
Pencils of Promise: This event is always one for the books. I wrote about my experience last year at their 10th annual celebration. This year’s event takes place on November 4th at Ciprinai’s on Wall Street and will honor Trevor Noah & Lil Jon: https://gala.pencilsofpromise.org
Resolve Gala: This one is particularly special to us because we are sponsors and, for the first time, members of the advisory board! The team behind this is nothing shy of amazing. Wyclef, the world’s greatest entertainer, is going to light the stage on fire and Funk Flex is DJing the afterparty at The Box. How good does that sound!?! The event is November 14th at the Altman Building in NYC. Tickets are here and they go up in price next week. Hope to see you there!!