Two Ten Footwear Foundation Names its 2015 Leadership Award Recipients
Waltham, MA (PRWEB) July 23, 2015 -- Two Ten Footwear Foundation will present three prestigious awards, the A.A. Bloom Award to Debbie Ferrée of DSW, the T. Kenyon Holly Award to the late Vince Camuto and the first-ever Social Impact Award to Kevin Donahue of Quabaug Charitable Foundation.
The award recipients will be honored during the Foundation’s VIP Dinner, sponsored by FFaNY, on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, at the magnificent 583 Park Avenue venue in NYC. The first of a two-night industry-wide celebration, A Night of Giving and Entertainment will raise over $3 million for footwear employees and their families.
The 76th Annual Gala will follow on Wednesday, December 2, at the renowned Hammerstein Ballroom as part of the new two-night celebration format organized and chaired by Jim Issler, President and CEO of H.H. Brown Shoe Company. Over 1,800 footwear executives and employees are expected to attend. All proceeds go directly to Two Ten Footwear Foundation’s emergency financial assistance, crisis counseling, natural disaster relief and higher education scholarships for footwear families.
“This year Two Ten honors three remarkable leaders of the footwear industry. Debbie Ferrée of DSW, the late Vince Camuto and Kevin Donahue of Quabaug are being recognized for their extraordinary philanthropic achievements, as each have made a meaningful difference in the world. No other event brings together the footwear industry like the Two Ten gala, and for our 76th annual event it is fitting we have three unique individuals who have demonstrated time and again that kindness and caring is embedded in our industry’s DNA,” said Neal Newman, President of the Two Ten Footwear Foundation.
Background on Two Ten’s Award Recipients
The 2015 A.A. Bloom Award winner is Debbie Ferrée, Vice Chairman and Chief Merchandising Officer of DSW and Two Ten board member since 2010 and lifetime member since 1992. The A.A. Bloom Award was created to honor an individual who has given greatly to Two Ten through his or her initiative, hard work, dedication and unselfish actions in the spirit of the late A.A. Bloom, one of the founders of Two Ten. Debbie is being recognized for her dedication and commitment to Two Ten, and for her work as chair of the Two Ten Scholarship Committee. Under her leadership, Two Ten has extended the impact of the program by increasing the scholarship fund in support of the financial needs of footwear families.
The 2015 T. Kenyon Holly Memorial Award winner is the late Vince Camuto. The T. Kenyon Holly award is Two Ten’s highest honor for outstanding humanitarian achievement, presented to an individual in the footwear, leather or allied industries who exemplifies the spirit and character of the late T. Kenyon Holly, past president of Two Ten. Mr. Holly was an individual who was dedicated to helping the less fortunate members of our industry and one who worked quietly, effectively and wholeheartedly in his philanthropic, civic and church affairs. An avid believer in the importance of philanthropy, Vince focused his charitable interests on organizations that helped women and children, such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the Ronald MacDonald House, and the Domestic Abuse Awareness Foundation. Vince was a lifetime member and financial supporter of Two Ten.
The Two Ten Social Impact Award distinguishes an individual or company who prioritizes giving back to the community, in order to positively change the lives of footwear employees and their families who need a helping hand. This award is presented for the first time to Kevin Donahue, Chairman, Quabaug Charitable Foundation, for his most recent efforts to raise over $360K for Two Ten’s Footwear Warriors Scholarship, developed exclusively for military Veterans working within the footwear industry. Kevin is a lifetime member of Two Ten since 1983 and joined the Two Ten Board in 1995, serving as an active member of the Endowment Committee, Finance Committee, and Membership Committees. In addition, Kevin served as Chair of the Scholarship Committee from 2001 to 2011.
About Two Ten Footwear Foundation
Two Ten Footwear Foundation is the national charitable foundation of the footwear industry. We bring shoepeople together in times of crisis to support each other and build a sense of community that ensures a bright future for our industry’s workforce. We provide emergency financial assistance, scholarships, counseling services and community building programs that changes the lives of shoepeople in the United States. Visit http://www.twoten.org for more information.
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Maureen Lederhos, Two Ten Footwear Foundation, http://www.twoten.org, 781-736-1525, [email protected]
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