Endures for a Cure Benefit

In November of 2014 I was honored to create a glimpse into the future for the DeFoor Brothers in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While their team, along with members of my former Grace Healthcare team & the Fifty Plus Racing team, were planning a remarkable event at the Embassy Suites Waterside to raise money for Alzheimer's research, I was asked to transform the pre-function area of the hotel into a French Market cocktail hour prior to the ballroom doors opening for the Endures for a Cure benefit. The goal was to introduce the city & guests to the DeFoor Brother's vision for reinventing parts of downtown Chattanooga in the coming years.

With only two weeks to plan & execute this French Market, I accepted the challenge & could not have been more delighted by the turnout. In partnership with many talented trades persons, the hallway became alive with custom-built pergolas strung with lights, fresh flowers, produce, artisanal cheeses, wine, baguettes, flavored olive oils, coffee, & handcrafted macadamia creamer. Signage guided guests through healthy ways to maintain a strong body & mind to lessen the chances for dementia. Among the prestigious guests, Brian Johnson of AC/DC & former Senator Bob Corker were in attendance. 

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The benefit was highly successful. For the full post-event press release I wrote, please see here. Two notable personal mentions include first that the lighted pergolas in the Chattanooga Embassy Suites remain today due to guest's delight, & second, the DeFoor Brother's desire for that French Market hallway to be a vision of the future has been realized in what is now known as the West Village. In the years that followed this event, I continued to volunteer for the Fifty Plus Racing Foundation's fight against Alzheimer's. Photos from my support as a Rolex 24 hospitality tent coordinator are below.

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