Jennifer Lopez — singer, actress, dancer, fashion designer and one of the world’s most recognized celebrities — is the official campaign ambassador of the 2017 Key to the Cure, funding cancer research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue, Key to the Cure includes a breakfast fashion show to benefit TGen, starting at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 6 at the Saks Fifth Avenue in Phoenix, 2446 E. Camelback Road. The event at Biltmore Fashion Park will feature gourmet food, drinks, a raffle for designer items, and an exclusive peak at the latest fashions. For more information, please visit: www.tgenfoundation.org and click on Events, or contact Lindsey Kent at lkent@tgen.org or 602-343-8681.
In addition, sales of a special limited edition, Missoni-designed t-shirt – modeled by J.Lo in fall edition fashion magazine ads – also will benefit TGen cancer research.
“A group of extraordinary volunteers led by Jacquie Dorrance, Katie Mueller and Carole Moreno from Key to the Cure are helping TGen unlock the mysteries of cancer, giving patients a chance to break free of this disease,” said TGen Foundation President Michael Bassoff. “We are grateful to Saks Fifth Avenue for consistently recognizing TGen’s efforts and we welcome the support of powerful anti-cancer activists like Jennifer Lopez.”
Now in its 19th year, Key To The Cure is Saks Fifth Avenue’s annual fundraising and charitable initiative to fight cancer. This year, Saks Fifth Avenue has teamed up with the Women’s Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
“For almost two decades, Key To The Cure has been one of the most iconic and valuable programs that Saks executes each year,” said Marc Metrick, President of Saks Fifth Avenue. “We look forward to raising funds for WCRF, as well as cancer research and treatment organizations around the country, and are confident that we will be successful, especially with the extraordinary support from both Jennifer Lopez and Missoni.”
The Women’s Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), a program of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, has supported innovative research directed at the development of more effective approaches to the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of women’s cancers since 1997. Founded by Jamie Tisch, Kate Capshaw, Rita Wilson, Anne Douglas, Quinn Ezralow, Kelly Chapman Meyer and Marion Laurie, WCRF has significantly moved the needle to advance lifesaving research.
Saks Fifth Avenue’s annual Key to the Cure charity shopping weekend will kick off on Friday, Oct. 13, and will donate three percent of sales of designated merchandise up to $500,000 to WCRF from that weekend.
“We are honored to partner with Saks Fifth Avenue on this year’s Key To The Cure campaign,” said Jamie Tisch, cofounder, WCRF. “We admire all that Saks has accomplished in support of cancer research over the years, and we are grateful to everyone who will participate in this event to raise critical funds.”
Since the campaign’s inception 19 years ago, Saks Fifth Avenue has donated close to $40 million to cancer research and treatment organizations throughout the United States. Organizations that have benefitted from Saks Fifth Avenue’s charitable support include Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), Cleveland Clinic, Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Nevada Cancer Institute and many more.
The Missoni designed t-shirt will be available for purchase from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 at all Saks Fifth Avenue locations in the U.S. and Canada as well as on saks.com. One hundred percent of proceeds from the $35 t-shirt will be donated to twelve local cancer charities, including TGen.
“It’s an honor to design the coveted Key To The Cure t-shirt for Saks Fifth Avenue,” said Angela Missoni. “This year marks my 20th anniversary as the Creative Director for Missoni and what better way to celebrate than to join the amazing roster of designers who have used their creative voices to support such an extraordinary cause.”
Past ambassadors and designer collaborations have included: Halle Berry and Christian Louboutin; Jennifer Aniston and Peter Dundas; Gwyneth Paltrow and Karl Lagerfeld; and Heidi Klum and Michael Kors.
