Sleep Country USA Winds Up Successful Coat Drive

Furniture World Magazine

As the blustery winds and rainy days of winter begin, thousands of foster children throughout the Pacific Northwest will remain warm and dry thanks to the generous donations made to the Sleep Country USA annual Coat Drive for foster kids. The Northwest’s largest seller of premium mattresses, Sleep Country USA announced that it has collected 3,800 coats this year, a 75% year-over-year increase from 2007 and one of its most significant increases to date – despite poor economic conditions. "It seems unimaginable for most that a child may go without a coat during the winter months, but often foster children come into foster care without anything, including a coat on their back, and foster families must find a way to provide them with such critical care items,” said Don Darland, President of the Oregon Foster Parent Association. “Given the financial undertaking foster families make to help these children, we were especially concerned that this year's donations might be bleak given economic indicators around spending, and yet, here we are again overwhelmed by the generosity of our neighbors, co-workers and community who pulled together to donate coats for foster children." On the tails of this astounding success, Sleep Country USA began its annual Secret Santa Toy Drive a little early this year, on November 3rd, in an effort to stimulate participation and provide plenty of time for cost conscious shoppers to shop for and donate items. The company is asking for donations of new, unwrapped toys and gifts, including wooden toys, Lego’s, remote controlled cars, books of all types, dolls and action figures, and board games to help the area’s 26,000 foster children have a brighter, more festive holiday season. “The outpouring of generosity we have experienced in 2008 has been tremendous, especially given the extraordinary economic circumstances we have seen,” said Terry Horsley, Vice President of Brand Strategy, Sleep Country USA. “We recognize that times are tough right now for families everywhere, and hope that with a continued emphasis on the important needs of our foster children, we, together with our community, can maintain the spreading of small selfless acts, like buying an extra gift at the holidays, to make a big difference in a child’s life.” Donations can be delivered to any of the company’s more than 70 stores in Washington and Oregon before the drive ends on December 14th. For more information on Sleep Country USA’s Foster Kids Program, or to make a donation, visit www.sleepcountry.com or call 1-888-88-SLEEP. Store hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sleep Country knows that while not everyone can be a foster parent, anyone can help a foster child. About Sleep Country USA: Sleep Country USA is the No. 1 mattress seller in the Northwestern United States, with more than 70 mattress retail stores throughout Washington and Oregon. The company was founded in 1991 and features top-quality brand-name mattresses and premium adjustable beds, futons, and wood and metal accent beds. The company is active in its communities, hosting ongoing events that benefit the area’s more than 26,000 foster children. For more information about Sleep Country USA or the Sleep Country Foster Kids program, visit www.sleepcountry.com.