Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation Strengthens Commitment to Support Mental Health with Fall Fundraiser

Earlier this month, Saks celebrated World Mental Health Day and National Coming Out Day in collaboration with Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation nonprofit partner, The Trevor Project

NEW YORK [October 20, 2021] - On Tuesday, October 19, the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation celebrated its ongoing commitment to support mental health with a cocktail fundraiser 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.

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 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.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

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 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 Eyestar 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.

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.