Sleep Country USA Pajama Bowl Scores Over $125,000 for Local Foster Children

SEATTLE, WA, March 28, 2011 (Press-News.org) Mark it a strike! Sleep Country USA (www.sleepcountry.com) today announced the record-breaking success of its dual-city Pajama Bowl events to raise money for area foster children. Hosting events in Washington and Oregon, this year's Pajama Bowl drew nearly 1000 bowlers who rolled out of bed and bowled in their pajamas, procuring donations totaling over $125,000 for the region's nearly 20,000 foster children - a 38% increase over last year's event.

"We're blown away by the success of this year's event and proud to deliver such generous donations to our foster organization partners for children in need," said Terry Horsley, vice president of brand strategy, Sleep Country USA. "It started as a fun-filled event to raise awareness about an important cause and capture a way to give cash donations to our partners, and has become a huge event that draws thousands in the community to give back while having a blast."

Sleep Country USA, the largest mattress store in the Pacific Northwest, hosted its first Pajama Bowl six years ago to raise money for its foster organization partners who sought support in providing foster children with extras often missed out on like tutors for school, participating in sports, obtaining counseling, or reuniting with siblings at summer camp. The Pajama Bowl events have since raised $465,000 for Sleep Country USA's regional foster care partners.

This year's event garnered over $45,000 in Oregon and $80,000 in Washington. Teams were scored on a point system during the event that incorporated money raised, bowling scores, wearing pajamas, and raffle winnings. The top scoring teams for this year were the "Striking Divas" in Oregon, bowling for Bridge the Gap, and the "Mama Pajama Kids Rock" in Washington, bowling for Treehouse for Kids. Each member of the winning team won a brand new queen-sized Simmons Beautyrest mattress set, and remaining teams that placed in the top five were awarded gift certificates for local restaurants, bowling parties or Latex pillows for each team member.

"We love Sleep Country USA's Pajama Bowl because we get to participate as a team and have fun while joining the community to raise money for a cause very close to our hearts," said Tauni Hemminger, founder and president, Bridge the Gap. "Sleep Country USA has been incredibly successful in creating a charitable event that is fun for everyone and continues to grow, building up on momentum from years past to get new participants. This success translates directly to our ability to make sure foster children can enjoy the same things as their peers, from tutoring and guitar lessons to attending soccer camp."

Didn't make it to this year's Pajama Bowl but still want to help? Sleep Country USA is holding its annual Pajama Drive for Foster Kids April 4th through May 22nd, 2011. Gather inspiration from the themed pajamas teams worn at this year's Pajama Bowls by visiting our Facebook page, and bring donations of new pajamas in all sizes to any Oregon or Washington Sleep Country USA location. Don't have time to shop? No problem. Visit http://www.sleepcountry.com to make a cash donation and let Sleep Country do the shopping for you. To find the store nearest to you or for more information about the shoe drive, please visit http://www.sleepcountry.com or call 1-888-88-SLEEP.

About Sleep Country USA
Celebrating its 20th year in business, Sleep Country USA is the No. 1 bedding specialist in the Northwest, with more than 70 mattress stores throughout Washington and Oregon. Founded in 1991, Sleep Country USA features top-quality, brand-name mattresses from Sealy, Posturepedic , Simmons Beautyrest , Stearns & Foster, and Tempur-Pedic , as well as premium adjustable beds, futons, and wood and metal accent beds. The company emphasizes customer service and satisfaction with its Money Back Comfort Guarantee and Free Red Carpet Delivery Service. Sleep Country USA's award-winning Sleep Country Foster Kids program actively contributes to its communities through ongoing donation drives and fundraising events that benefit the area's more than 20,000 foster children. For more information about Sleep Country USA or the Sleep Country Foster Kids program, please visit http://www.sleepcountry.com or call 1-888-88-SLEEP.

Media Contacts:
Revolution PR for Sleep Country USA
Jennifer Karkar Ritchie | (206) 932-2454 | jennifer@revolutionpr.com
Or
Aaron Hilst | (206) 355-3506 | aaron@revolutionpr.com