Robin Hood

Guests entered the benefit by walking through an oversize keyhole, a visualization of the evening's theme of "Unlock the Future." Freestanding keyholes in the same size continued at intervals along the entryway.

The keyholes gave way to a series of unlocked doors that continued throughout the cocktail space.

They ended at a screen that displayed the foundation's logo as well as a digital representation of the doors that made them appear to go on forever.

The benefit's decor always celebrates New York City. Fabricated elements this year included 3-D silhouettes of iconic buildings such as the One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building.

A drum corps and horn players from the Brooklyn United Marching Band played during the transition from cocktails to dinner.

The bars were designed to look like New York City skyscrapers. Each served a specialty cocktail and was named for a restaurant by Major Food Group.

The bars were embedded with screens that contained messaging about the foundation's work.

Television journalist and Robin Hood board member Katie Couric hosted the event. Also addressing the crowd were New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and comedian Jim Gaffigan.

A ring of large screens lined the perimeter of the room. As guests entered the dining room, numbers on the screens and color-coded tableclothes helped them find their tables.

The centerpieces resembled building blocks for children, underscoring this year's focus on early childhood development. After the benefit, the blocks were removed from the base and donated to a Robin Hood-funded program.

The room layout had a different look this year, with an in-the-round setup instead of a stage at the front. A Jumbotron-style, four-sided overhead screen offered close-ups of the action in the middle of the room.

One of the benefit's traditions is an unannounced musical set. This year, the Zac Brown Band performed.

R&B star Usher was the headlining entertainment at the benefit.

Taking place simultaneously were two separate concerts for younger patrons of the foundation. They included Joey Bada$$ (pictured) and DJ Mark Ronson, who performed at Terminal 5, and Citizen Cope at Irving Plaza. Good Sense & Company handled production for the concerts.

Another effort to raise awareness for the foundation involved lighting the Empire State Building (pictured), Madison Square Garden, and the Bloomberg Tower in the foundation's signature green hue.

Another new effort saw Robin Hood’s message spread to the Bronx, where the Robin Hood-supported KIPP Academy String and Rhythm Orchestra performed before the New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. Two graduating seniors from KIPP NYC College Prep High School threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Also that night, some 30,000 Yankees fans received a Robin Hood-green Yankees cap and 10,000 people served by Robin Hood-funded organizations received free tickets to the game.

A hallway leading guests into the gala featured backlit panels with the foundation's tagline and New York City skyline images.

The scenic construction included replicas of actual Times Square buildings, with 3-D projections mapped onto them that included a scrolling news ticker on the façade of the ABC Building. The overall black, white, and silver color scheme allowed the messaging in pops of color to stand out.

This year's benefit had a Times Square theme, and the reception space included 3-D replicas of skyscrapers and other instantly recognizable landmarks.

The reception space featured a replica of the iconic TKTS booth in Times Square.

The foundation's logo was inset into the event carpeting.

In the dining room, David Stark Design hung 1,750 Edison lightbulbs from the ceiling. They formed numerals that helped guests find their seats among the sea of 417 tables.

Instead of centerpieces, David Stark Design created lazy Susans rimmed in white LED lights that made sharing the antipasto easier.

Befitting the Times Square theme, the aisles between dinner tables were designed like New York city streets, with glittery "asphalt" and road markings.

The bicycle lane marking leading to the dining room featured a Robin Hood character on a bike.

The DJ booth was designed to resemble the military recruitment office in Times Square. A sign gave guests pointers on how to promote the event on social media, including holding up provided signs with messages such as "I am fighting poverty like a New Yorker."

Longtime donors received medallions at the guest check-in that denoted the length of their support. There were different colored medallions for five, 10, and 20 years.