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From Home Furnishing Business

Common Thread for the Cure to Receive HEARTS Award in Dallas

October 15, 2026  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

The HEARTS Award is one of the ARTS Awards’ special honors, selected by the ARTS Awards Committee rather than through the nomination and judging process that determines the category awards (see this year’s judges here). The honor traces its roots to June 2021, when the annual ARTS Awards were replaced by a one-time special event, the HEARTS Awards, held in partnership with 12 leading industry organizations to honor companies and individuals that showed outstanding leadership, empathy, and service during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the ARTS Awards returned as an in-person event, the HEARTS Award continued as a special honor recognizing an organization for its service to others and humanitarian excellence. Past recipients include The H Foundation and Heart on Main Street.

“For more than 25 years, The Common Thread for the Cure Foundation has shown what this industry looks like at its best, with colleagues and friends coming together to care for one another,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “Its’ grants reach people at one of the hardest moments of their lives and give them room to focus on getting well.”

“So many of us in this industry have watched a colleague, a friend, or a family member face breast cancer, and The Common Thread for the Cure gives us a way to help that is direct and personal,” said Sharon Davis, executive director of ART. “It began as one family’s way of honoring a sister and it has grown into a source of hope for survivors across the country, and we are grateful to WithIt for nominating this amazing organization.”

The Common Thread for the Cure Foundation was established in 2000 by Suzann Burkhead Bray and her brother, Scott Burkhead, in memory of their younger sister, Sandra Burkhead Campbell, who died from breast cancer. Having seen firsthand how the disease affects not only the person fighting it but an entire family, Bray set out to ease that burden for others in the industry she knew best.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Common Thread for the Cure Foundation provides confidential grants to people affiliated with the design and furnishings industry — and their immediate family members — who are battling breast cancer. Rather than funding research, the foundation helps survivors meet every day financial obligations, from medical deductibles and housing during treatment to mortgage payments, insurance costs, and college tuition for a child, so they can focus on what matters most: their health and recovery.

Since its founding, the foundation has awarded more than $2 million in grants to recipients in 43 states, Canada, and Mexico. In 2025 alone, it awarded 46 grants totaling $331,500. As awareness has grown, so has its reach. Grants now support women and men across every segment of the industry, from architecture and interior design to furniture, lighting, textiles, flooring, and accessories, and a growing share of recipients are between the ages of 20 and 40. The foundation is guided by an all-volunteer board of directors drawn from across the industry.

In addition to the HEARTS Award, Troy Lee, chief executive officer of Progressive Lighting, will receive the Academy of Achievement Award, and dozens of category awards will be presented to retailers, manufacturers, designers, and sales representatives. The Legendary Leadership Award recipient will be announced in the coming weeks.

A full list of the 37th ARTS Awards finalists can be viewed here. Reservations are now open at dallasmarketcenter.com/artsawards/reservations and close Jan. 2.

For information about all upcoming markets and events, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the new, completely redesigned Dallas Market Center mobile app. Stay current by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Instagram, and the DMC Daily Dose blog, and use #ARTSAwards to stay connected.