Putting Our Best Foot Forward

For the second year in a row this evening I will be attending the annual “FFANY Shoes of Sale Event” in New York City.  For all you Shoenistas out there this is a shoppers paradise offering more than 90,000 pairs of shoes at half the suggested retail price.  But what makes those good deals an even better deal, is that when you buy a pair of sexy pumps or those suede books you’ve been eyeing, the proceeds will benefit cancer research.

QVC and the Fashion Footwear Association of New York are teaming up for the 18th annual QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale®” event. QVC and FFCF sponsor “FFANY Shoes on Sale” each year to benefit some of the nation’s most distinguished breast cancer research hospitals and foundations across the country.  The event is held each October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In addition to being a women’s health advocate, QVC is where I launched my Joan Lunden Home line last year and I take my hat off to them for their generous contributions to women’s health.   A good portion of the funds raised also go to the University of Michigan Health System. I had the honor of leading a public forum on “Women’s Global Health Policies” at the University of Michigan last month on National Women’s Health Day.  It was a session filled with not only information from top experts in women’s health but hope and promise. 

University of Michigan received $400,000 from last year’s sale, and $3.7 million total since its involvement with the event began.  “The support has allowed us to continue moving forward on things such as breast cancer stem cell research as well as other endeavors we may not have been able to pursue,” says Daniel Hayes, M.D., co-director of the Breast Oncology Program at U-M.

This year, Timothy O’Donovan, the former CEO of the Michigan-based shoe company Wolverine World Wide Inc., will be honored at the Shoes on Sale gala for his contributions to the program. O’Donovan is also donating an additional $100,000 this year, on top of proceeds from the sale, to support breast cancer research at University of Michigan.  Also being honored will be Nancy Brinker, the founder and CEO of the well known Susan G. Komen Foundation. 

And for those of you who can’t make it to tonight’s event, you can tune in to see QVC present “FFANY Shoes on Sale” airing October 15th from 6 – 9 PM!  You can visit QVC.com to shop shoes for a fantastic cause.

For the past 17 years, QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” has sold over 1.5 million pairs of shoes and has donated more than $35 million to the cause. This year, more than 90,000 pairs of shoes from over 80 brands will be sold for half the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, with net proceeds benefiting breast cancer research and education institutions, including:

• The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• The Breast Cancer Research Foundation – New York, New York
• The Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Breast Oncology Program – Ann Arbor, Michigan
• The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences – Little Rock, Arkansas
• The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine – St. Louis, Missouri
• The John Wayne Cancer Institute Breast Center at Saint John's Health Center – Santa Monica, California

Overall, QVC and FFANY have raised more than $35 million for breast cancer research and education, selling more than 1.5 million pairs of shoes. 

To learn more: http://ffany.org/

To shop the event on QVC: http://www.qvc.com/cgen/render.aspxqp=promo|QVCPresentsFFANYShoesOnSale&rewrite=no 

To see pictures from last year's event: http://ffany.org/index.php/photo-gallery 

To see video from last year's event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsOgTVPFS-Q