The Breast Cancer Research Foundation brought its annual Hot Pink Party, a signature fund-raising event, to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston Tuesday night. The gala brought in 550 guests and raised more than $800,000 for the foundation's programs.
Hopple Popple designed and produced the gala for the third year, bringing an appropriately pink design scheme to the soaring Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard. The design goal was to highlight the reason for the event: raising funds and awareness for breast cancer research. "We always keep the mission in mind," said Tiffany Beer, event planner and consultant at Hopple Popple. "Everyone is happy to be there, and there's a warm feeling. We had to mimic that [with our decor]."
Using rosy lighting, tall candles in some of the centerpieces, and branches with hanging peonies from Columbine Custom Floral Design, the Hopple Popple team brought a sense of intimacy to the large venue.
Tabletops, covered in pink-and-white-striped linens donated by Brooks Brothers, each had one of four different centerpieces to create visual interest and a pattern among the 40 tables. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's logo—white typeface with a pink ribbon—appeared in lighting on the walls, another way the producers drove home the reason for the gala.
Dinner from chefs Ming Tsai, Michael Schlow, and Daniel Bruce followed a cocktail reception. Hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari's post-dinner performance underscored the classical-meets-contemporary dichotomy between the museum's traditional qualities and the courtyard's modern vibe.
