Off the Grid VIP Gift Baskets celebrate Indy’s healthcare workers and support Hoosier businesses, continuing the reach of the 2020 project. 

 

INDIANAPOLIS (May 27, 2021) – Since 1957, the 500 Festival has hosted a legendary race-weekend party, attended by civic and business leaders of Indianapolis and celebrities and VIPs in town for the Indy 500. The event, 500 Festival Off the Grid, presented by KeyBank, is a night of revelry and entertainment, a chance to celebrate and toast a successful Month of May and the upcoming Indy 500 race. In lieu of hosting an in-person black-tie event, funds that would have gone towards this event have been used to create and deliver an Off the Grid VIP Gift Basket for Central Indiana health care workers so they can enjoy a VIP experience at their home. The 500 Festival Off the Grid VIP Gift Baskets, presented by KeyBank, will feature a variety of food and gift items from Hoosier businesses. The VIP Gift Baskets will show health care workers the thanks of the community while supporting a variety of local Indiana businesses.     

 

The 500 Festival and KeyBank, the title partner for Off the Grid, have teamed up once again to reimagine this year’s Off the Grid experience and make our health care workers feel like VIPs. The Off the Grid VIP Gift Baskets will be provided to front line workers at Indiana’s four largest health care systems as well as Sanders Glenn Assisted Living, located in Westfield. This collaborative effort amongst the 500 Festival, KeyBank , and Off the Grid vendors, is an opportunity to come together to foster a positive impact, and celebrate the Central Indiana health care professionals serving on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.  

 

KeyBank has pledged their sponsorship funds that would traditionally be allocated towards the in-person Off the Grid event to underwrite the bulk of expenses for hundreds of gift baskets, ensuring that local vendors will also receive critical revenue during this tenuous time.   

 

The Indiana Roof Ballroom, which has been the host venue for the red-carpet event since its inception in 1957, and their Crystal Catering team will develop the VIP Gift Baskets, which will include a variety of upscale food and beverage items. They will also oversee the assembly process as well as the delivery of gift baskets to hospitals, ensuring hospitality food safety best practices are closely followed.   

 

The 500 Festival is overseeing the planning process to ensure the baskets will be delivered to their recommended locations and departments and each delivery will have the unmistakable excitement and fanfare of our traditional Race Weekend VIP event. Items gifted in each assembled Off the Grid VIP Basket include a wine bottle courtesy of Daniel’s Vineyard featuring a custom label in recognition of KeyBank, luxury food items provided by Crystal Catering, hand sanitizer and a gift card provided by Hotel Tango, and boxes of Girl Scout Cookies donated by Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.  

 

“We are thrilled to be able to once again provide this special experience as a thank you to our Indiana healthcare workers for all of their incredible work and efforts over the past year,” said Bob Bryant, president, and CEO of the 500 Festival. “By providing Off the Grid Gift Baskets, we hope to bring the magic of the traditional, one-of-a-kind celebration of the Indy 500 to healthcare workers to enjoy a much-deserved VIP experience at their home. The 500 Festival and KeyBank are also proud to support Indiana businesses and thank each of our vendors for their contributions to make this experience all the more special.”  

 

The impact of the Off the Grid VIP Gift Basket concept will highlight the brave stories and invaluable work all healthcare workers have selflessly dedicated throughout the pandemic. The 500 Festival’s mission of fostering a positive impact on Hoosier lives stretches far beyond the Month of May, we hope to fulfill this mission in all aspects of our work and lives.  

 

"KeyBank is a proud, long-time supporter of the 500 Festival and the Off the Grid experience. We're so pleased that this year we will again celebrate the frontline health care workers who keep those in our community healthy and safe," said Juan Gonzalez, president, Central Indiana, KeyBank. "In addition to honoring their efforts, the Off the Grid deliveries also support local businesses that provide the gift items. It's a positive for all." 

To learn more about the 500 Festival Off the Grid, presented by KeyBank, and the Off the Grid VIP gift basket initiative, please visit 500Festival.com/OffTheGrid.  

  

Off the Grid is supported by KeyBank, Daniel’s Vineyard, Hotel Tango, and broadcast partner, WISH-TV. Co-chairs of the Off the Grid committee are Juan Gonzalez and Melissa Proffitt, serving with committee members Phyllis Ferrell, Jeff Holley, Patrick McGill, Dennis Murphy, Kevin Pastoor, Rob Pruitt, Joe Santucci, and Leah Stark.                                             

  

About the 500 Festival  

Founded in 1957, the 500 Festival is a not-for-profit organization that produces more than 50 life-enriching events and programs while celebrating the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 and fostering positive impact on the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. One of the largest festivals in the nation, each year more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $400 million in economic value to Indianapolis. To learn more about the 500 Festival, please visit www.500festival.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  

   

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Media Contact: Helen Khamis, 500 Festival  

317.914.4817 | hkhamis@500festival.com