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IFDA Chapters Walk To Support Design Education

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The International  Furnishings & Design Association announced that all across the country this spring, members of the International Furnishings & Design Association/Educational Foundation (IFDA/EF) will be joined by hundreds of colleagues, friends, students -- even their dogs -- on a fund-raising Walk for Design Education. 
 
A first for the furnishings and design industry, the unique event will build IFDA/EF scholarships and grant funds to endowment levels and increase award amounts.  The EF is the philanthropic arm of IFDA.
 
“With the current economy, financial support is needed now more than ever,” says 2009 EF Chairman Bonnie L. Peterson, FIFDA.  “We are Walking to support the future of the design industry.” 
 
IFDA/EF offers more scholarships and grants than any other association in the industry, Peterson points out, including a new Green/Sustainable Scholarship, and a grant to fund historic preservation projects around the U.S.
 
Where the Walks lead is as varied as IFDA, which has members in every facet of furnishings and design.  Chapters have developed their own colorful takes on the Walk concept, with participants wearing kiwi-green tee shirts bearing the circular Walk logo and the logos of National Walk Partners, 3 M, the “Champion Partner; Benjamin Moore and Hunter Douglas, “Booster Partners;” Market Square, EJ Victor, and Technology Ventures Incorporated, “Banner Partners.”
 
Texas is going to the dogs, bringing their four-legged pets on June 6 to Walk part of the Katy Trail that links downtown Dallas with Park City, ending the
outing with treats for both canines and humans.
 
The Southern California Chapter will be “Striding for Scholarships” on
May 2, with the day’s dress code calling for “Designers’ Derbies and Denim.” Walkers will stride along scenic Highway 101 and through the famous Cedros design district of  Solana Beach.
 
 
New Yorkers will follow industry docents and trend-spotters on their stroll through some of the most innovative new furniture in the world, on display at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in Manhattan on May l7 and l8. 
 
The Georgia Chapter will take Walkers a century deep into local history on May l6, exploring the 33-acre Atlanta History Center in Buckhead, which includes the elegant l928 Swann House Mansion, and Tullie Smith House and Farm, featuring Georgian gardens of the l860s. 
 
New Englanders will Walk on a “Quest for Knowledge” in Boston Design Center on Apr. 30, carrying “report cards” to be stamped in the showrooms they visit. The stamped cards can be turned in for raffle tickets and prizes at a wrap-up party.
 
Several other chapters are also staging Walks within their local design centers.  On May 15, the Northern California Chapter will tour the SF Design Center in San Francisco, visiting host showrooms before gathering for prizes, music, and refreshments.
 
The Florida Chapter is planning a “Champagne Art Walk” through the seven large galleries within the Banyon Galleries, while Washington (D.C.) Chapter members and supporters will “Walk Around Resources,” a day devoted to design seminars and vendors’ table-top exhibits.
 
“Walking the Merchandise Mart” in Chicago on May 26, the Illinois Chapter plans a hike through showrooms from the 1st to the l8th floor, rewarded by refreshments in a Mart restaurant.  
 
The Carolinas Chapter and the Philadelphia Chapter have already put their best foot forward on behalf of EF scholarships and grants.  The Carolinas Chapter Walked the downtown High Point Market showroom area on April 4, after a kick-off garden party the evening before at the home of designer Raymond Waites.
 
Philadelphia’s March 13 Walk was more like a stroll through the South of France: supporters visited the news-making “Cezanne and Beyond” exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
 
All donations to the Walk are tax deductible because IFDA/EF is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization.  To make a donation to the “Walk for Design Education,” go to www.ifdaef.org/designwalk. For information on IFDA/EF scholarships and grants, go to www.ifdaef.org.