The Doorways Lifts Off from HeloAir for Annual SAVOR Fundraiser on March 8
Proceeds support services for patients & families who travel for medical care in RVA
Richmond, VA (Jan. 13, 2025) – The Doorways, a hospitality house for patients and families who must travel to Richmond for life-saving medical care, is taking its annual SAVOR fundraiser to new heights in 2025. The gala event featuring gourmet cuisine prepared by nationally and locally celebrated chefs will be held on Saturday, March 8 at the HeloAir hangar at Richmond International Airport.
The 17,500 square-foot hangar of HeloAir will be completely transformed for a magical night featuring helicopters on display to highlight this unprecedented setting. At this first of its kind event for Richmond hosted in a hangar, guests will be treated to culinary specialties from award-winning chefs, including Chef Travis Milton of Hickory at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards, Chef Ian Boden of Maude & The Bear/The Shack, and Chef Joy Crump of Foode & Mercantile, among others.
In addition to enjoying a sumptuous gourmet dining experience, guests can participate in silent and live auctions to bid on such luxury items as original artwork, entertainment packages, dinners at top restaurants and exciting travel destinations. For the first time in many years, dancing is on the program with live music provided by The English Channel, America’s premier British Invasion band.
“HeloAir will be a fun, one-of-a-kind setting for the sixteenth SAVOR, which began in 2009 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Doorways and has grown bigger and better with each passing year thanks to great local partners and corporate sponsors,” said Stacy Brinkley, President & CEO of The Doorways. “Proceeds from this spectacular event benefit our mission to provide lodging and support services for patients and their loved ones who need to be close to the hospital or medical facility but not far from the feeling of home.”
Whit Baldwin, President of HeloAir, Inc., is delighted that HeloAir was chosen as the location for SAVOR 2025.
“It’s a very unique venue that generates interest because it’s different from what you’d expect for a gala and we’re excited to show it off,” he said. “SAVOR is one of the largest events ever held at HeloAir, and we want the event to be successful for The Doorways.”
Leslie Stack, a past board member of The Doorways, has served on the SAVOR planning committee since the beginning. As a former caterer, she has always strongly believed that the hospitality community should step up to support the former Hospital Hospitality House, as The Doorways was called prior to rebranding in 2015 to better fit its role as a welcoming doorway between healthcare and returning home. When Stack was tapped in 2009 to chair a committee to develop a gala fundraising event, she reached out to her friends in the hospitality industry to help bring the vision to life.
“The chefs embraced the mission of The Doorways and the goal to reimagine the typical banquet-style fundraising dinner into an event called ‘SAVOR: A Delicious Way to Make a Difference.’ Now this amazing gala has become a special evening that attendees don’t want to miss,” Stack said. “It has been held at the Jefferson Hotel in recent years – a truly fabulous venue. Yet I’ve always dreamed of having SAVOR take place in an airport hangar because I love the challenge of going into a new space and creating something extraordinary that sparks curiosity. Now that dream is coming true!”
“SAVOR is a memorable night of fun, fantastic food, and philanthropy,” concluded Stacy Brinkley. “What could be better?”
For more information and to purchase tickets for SAVOR, visit https://www.thedoorways.org/events/savor-2025/
About The Doorways
The Doorways is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Richmond, established in 1983. It is the second largest hospital hospitality house in the nation, hosting an average of 150 guests per night, and nearly 10,000 guests per year. It is the largest hospital hospitality house that operates on a donation basis. Learn more at https://www.thedoorways.org/.
Media Contact: Sara Hunt, SaraHuntPR@gmail.com, 804-994-1120
