Key to the Cure Fund-raiser Begins Thursday

and Saks Fifth Avenue Tampa are partnering to host the 2011 Key to the Cure (KTTC) charity shopping weekend from Oct. 20 to 23. The goal is to raise money and awareness for breast and women’s reproductive cancers. Saks will donate 2 percent of weekend sales to the cause.

KTTC is a nationwide initiative for Saks Fifth Avenue, and local and national women’s charities benefit from the weekend. Saks also will offer a limited-edition KTTC T-shirt designed by Elie Tahari, for $35 in Saks stores, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH stores and on saks.com with 100 percent sales donated to local charity partners.

Grammy and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson has been named the 2011 Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund ambassador for Saks Fifth Avenue’s 2011 KTTC campaign. In support of this program, Hudson has appeared in a national public service announcement wearing the Elie Tahari limited-edition T-shirt in major fashion and lifestyle magazines in September and October.

KTTC in Tampa has raised nearly $1 million since 1999.