ICFA Gala to Benefit City of Hope

June 22, 2017

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The International Casual Furnishings Association will donate a portion of the proceeds from its 2017 Awards Gala to City of Hope, the renowned Duarte, Calif.-based research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

The ICFA Awards Gala is slated at the Field Museum on Thursday, September 14, during Casual Market Chicago. The event gathers all segments of the outdoor furnishings industry together to recognize and celebrate top avana retail stores, manufacturers, sales representatives and product designs.

The ICFA Board of Directors approved the selection of City of Hope as the Association’s philanthropic interest late last year, and the decision to add $10 to each ticket is the initial fundraising activity. “ICFA is pleased to take this first step to benefit City of Hope,” said Doug Sanicola, president of Outdoor Elegance in La Verne, Calif., and chairman of ICFA.

“Our Philanthropy Committee is working on future projects that can help to advance the important research and treatments underway.”

Tickets for ICFA members can be ordered here for $75 per person or $700 for a table for 10. Tickets for non-members are $95 per person or $950 for a table of 10.

The cutoff date for preferred seating ticket orders is Friday, August 18.

Among the awards presented during the gala will be the Apollo Awards for retail excellence. Six finalists have been named in each of two categories – single-store and multi-store – and all 12 will be honored before the winners in each category are announced.

In addition, the ICFA Manufacturer of the Year and Sales Representative of the Year will be announced.

The Awards Gala also includes presentation of the Lillian B. Winchester “Best of Show” Award, which is selected from among 10 category winners in the annual Design Excellence competition honoring top outdoor product designs, plus the new Lilly Awards presented to the top furniture and non-furniture entries.

Finally, ICFA will present a video tribute to the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, Petey Fleischut of Casual Marketplace in Hockessin, Del., and Oliver Ma of Treasure Garden, Baldwin Park, Calif.

The evening begins with a 6:30 p.m. cocktail reception. The popular Fabric Fashion Show created by Casual Living and theMART will precede dinner and the awards program.