On Tuesday, October 19, the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation celebrated its ongoing commitment to support mental health.
The cocktail fundraiser was hosted by Executive Chairman of Saks and President of the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation Richard Baker and Saks CEO Marc Metrick at L’Avenue at Saks in New York City.
The event raised more than $1.7 million to support the Foundation’s mission to make mental health a priority in every community by increasing understanding, improving access to care, building protective factors, and reaching communities that are uniquely affected by mental health issues.
Guests at the fundraiser enjoyed a special performance by legendary GRAMMY-winning artist and entertainer Patti LaBelle, who performed a medley of her most popular songs including Over the Rainbow, Lady Marmalade, and On My Own.
“It is no secret that the past year and a half have posed unprecedented challenges on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of our communities,” said Richard Baker, Executive Chairman of Saks and President of the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation.
“With this latest funding, we are well-positioned to support our nonprofit partners that are directly delivering mental health services to those in need. We are grateful to the many partners who make our efforts possible through their generous donations and look forward to continuing this important work for many years to come.”
Since the Foundation’s founding in 2017, Saks Fifth Avenue and the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation have donated more than $4.5 million to US mental health initiatives and reached over 6.6 million individuals with messages that combat the shame and stigma surrounding mental health struggles.
“The Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation is committed to making mental health a priority in every community,” said Marc Metrick, CEO of Saks and Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation Board Member.
“We are continuing to work with our nonprofit partners, focusing our funding on programs that train counselors, schools, volunteers, and mentors to support the emotional health of the communities they serve. Thank you to our partners for standing with us as we work to make the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation’s mission a reality.”
The Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation thanks and recognizes key members of its vendor community for their significant contributions, including American Express, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Capital One, AlixPartners, CBRE, Klarna, LiveArea, a Merkle Company, and ShopRunner.
Earlier this month, Saks celebrated World Mental Health Day and National Coming Out Day with a multi-faceted digital campaign in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation nonprofit partner, The Trevor Project.
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young people.
As part of the initiative, Queer Eye star Karamo Brown and Chris Bright, Director of Public Training at The Trevor Project, hosted a virtual event on Saks Live, the retailer’s digital events platform, to raise awareness of mental health issues and provide support to the LGBTQ+ community.
Karamo and Chris had an honest conversation about the importance of celebrating World Mental Health Day and Coming Out Day among the LGBTQ+ community, and how The Trevor Project serves as a resource for LGBTQ+ youth struggling with mental health issues.
The virtual conversation is available to watch now exclusively on Saks Live.
See Also: Here's How Your Favorite Lifestyle Brand Celebrated World Mental Health Day
Additionally, the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation developed a “Mental Health at Work” guide for employees with support from another nonprofit partner, Bring Change to Mind.
The guide serves as a tool to support a culture of openness and support and provides resources and guidance for Saks employees to support their wellness, to become an ally to a colleague, and to demystify paths to a conversation surrounding mental health.
Photography by: Images Courtesy of BFA for Saks Fifth Avenue
