Founded by Chicagoan Lindsay Avner, Bright Pink is a charity that's focused on women's health. On Sunday, the organization hosted its Fab Fest— the third iteration of an event formerly known as Fit Fest—at the Four Seasons Chicago. In addition to raising funds for Bright Pink's programming, "the goal is to help make [people] aware of Bright Pink's mission: to empower young women to be proactive advocates [for] breast and ovarian health," Avner said.
To attend the event, each of the 400 guests had to make an individual commitment to raise $500 through personal donation pages on StayClassy.org. Alternatively, teams of four could pledge to raise $1,800. According to Avner, turning attendees into active fund-raisers helps tie them to the cause. "They turn into the ones advocating for our mission," she said. "They get to know the organization at a deeper level, and so often they are inspired by the event and continue to volunteer [throughout the year]."
With celebrity guest and co-host Giuliana Rancic, the event took place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and was "an action-packed day full of the greatest fitness classes, pampering beauty treatments, goal-coaching, inspiration, and all the elements a woman needs to live her most fabulous life," Avner said. "Giuliana has been highly involved in every aspect of the event, from the design of the invitation to the selection of the venue, solicitation of sponsors, planning of activities, and promotion."
The event's new name signaled a change in programming. "While last year, the main focus was the fitness, this year, the event kept all that made last year's version amazing but added many more 'fab' touches," Avner said. Along with high-energy morning workouts, spin demos from GoCycle, and other fitness-oriented activities, the afternoon offered makeup applications, facials, spray tans, energy healing, hairstyling, and body-fat testing. There was also a genetic counselor and a nutritionist on site to consult with guests.
"The Four Seasons banquet director mentioned that this event is four times more complicated than a wedding," Avner said. "There are so many moving parts, but that is also what makes it so special and fun. The most rewarding aspect is seeing so many women come together and truly live our mission. They make the commitment to be proactive with their health."
