Saks Fifth Avenue Key to the Cure 2015

For the ninth consecutive year, Saks Fifth Avenue at Keystone at the Crossing, partnered with the St. Vincent Foundation to host the Key to the Cure fundraising gala in October to benefit programs and services at St. Vincent Cancer Care. Over 525 guests attended a spectacular black-tie evening filled with food, fashion, and dancing.

The evening was a rousing success thanks to the hard work of all the staff involved, including the volunteers that assisted throughout the evening. University of Indiana’s men’s and women’s track and field teams were some of the volunteers responsible for the overall flow of the event and were among the many impressed with the turn out. “It was a great chance for us to come together as a team and give back to a cause greater than ourselves to help those that need it,” Eli Stidd, a team member, said. “The best part was seeing just how many people were willing to give to the cause and how much money that was raised.”

From day to night Saks Fifth Avenue transformed from the familiar retail space at Keystone at the Crossing on Indianapolis’ North side to a vibrant runway fashion event. Each event space on the second and third floors, drenched in pink lighting and skirted with white draping, was alive with energy from all in attendance. Upon arrival guests registered and were given the opportunity for a red carpet style photo walk, complete with a Hollywood awards gala worthy backdrop and luxurious white Maserati convertible to shoot in front of.

Hors d’oeuvres
Luau style lobster slider
Bison tar tar spoons, caper berries ,pickled mustard seeds on mini toast
Jamaican jerk shrimp brochettes, pickled chayote, cilantro-lime emulsion
Fig and brie strudel with apple candied ginger compote
Lamb keema croquettes, mint pesto
Coconut chicken bites with curry cream

Amuse Bouche
Tuna nicoise, purple potatoes, quail egg, haricot vert, olive oil

First Course
Artisanal greens with french poached baby pears, citrus scented goat cheese medallions and hazelnuts served with dijon vinaigrette
Assorted dinner rolls and lemon rosemary flatbread
Sundried tomato butter and french butter balls

Second Course
Rosemary and fennel crusted filet mignon with sauce bordelaise
White sesame crusted seabass with plum wine butter sauce
Served with asparagus with julienne of red and yellow bell peppers and saffron jumbo lump crab risotto

Third Course
Dessert Stations

Verrine Display
Mocha panna cotta, white chocolate mousse and caramel with sspresso bean
Guava panna cotta, mango gelée, white chocolate mousse and clear candy
Tropical fruit and caramel latte verrines

Champagne Bar
Choice of Prosecco or St. Germain
Served with peach, berry, mango and blood orange syrups and
Blood orange, passion fruit and strawberry sorbets

Ice Cream Sandwich and Apple Dipper station
Chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches or apples dipped in your choice of dark chocolate, white chocolate or caramel
and topped with candied cashews, espresso scented coco nibs, crushed caramel corn, toffee, sprinkles or toasted coconut

Mini Gelato Cone Station
Choice of Banana walnut chocolate, vanilla and cashew praline gelato
Served in mini chocolate and vanilla cones

Guests kicked off the night with a cocktail hour held on the second floor. Passed hors d’oeuvres and beverages were available, along with hors d’oeuvres stations. The second floor also was the residence of both the silent auction along with desserts and dancing which followed dinner. The silent auction along with Key to the Cure ticket sales were available throughout the evening to help raise additional funding for St. Vincent Cancer Care. Popular silent auction items included lunch with New York Times Best Selling Author, John Green, made famous by his novels The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, as well as private dining options, and autographed paraphernalia, private shopping experiences at Saks Fifth Avenue, and behind the scenes opportunity with Indianapolis’ own Bob and Tom.

Following cocktail hour guests moved to the third floor for a plated meal. Amuse bouche was preset at each place setting for guests to enjoy prior to opening remarks. Between this intermezzo and the dinner service, models walked the runway showing off the latest trends and fashions in the industry. During dinner the second floor transformed from cocktail reception to dessert stations and dancing space, including the sounds of Endless Summer Band.

The décor details of this event truly bought out the elegance and fashion forward thinking of the evening. Tables were covered with black crinkle linen and framed with silver chiavari chairs. Each place setting featured a silver charger, black napkin folded in the Martha Stewart style, and wine glasses for the evening’s wine service with dinner. A variety of center pieces were used, ranging from tall to short. A combination of white hydrangeas and white orchids were presented with different styles of vase featuring crystals and black flowing ribbon. Each table number, highlighted in pink, also played into the evening’s black and white color scheme by paying homage to the Key to the Cure t-shirts, which featured a similar design.

The evening was a tremendous success, not only on the front of fund raising for a great cause, but also on the execution of a highly detailed and extravagant event of this nature. Each team worked collaboratively and thoughtfully in respect to one another’s responsibilities which led to a great win for Saks Fifth Avenue and St. Vincent Cancer Care. It was our honor, and pleasure, to be part of such an impactful and iconic Indianapolis event.

See more of our off-premise catered events on our blog.