Give the Gift of Sleep This Holiday Season

TRINITY, N.C., Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the down economy, more than half of Americans say they are likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present this year.* In keeping with the spirit of holiday giving, Stearns & Foster, a luxury brand of Sealy®, has announced a renewed commitment to The Salvation Army through the 2011 Gift of Sleep program.

"We feel it is imperative for all Americans to consider giving back, especially during the holidays," said Jodi Allen, chief marketing officer, Sealy.  "Through our renewed partnership with The Salvation Army, we hope to remind others of the importance of holiday giving and inspire them to help those less fortunate."

As part of the 2011 Gift of Sleep program, for every Stearns & Foster mattress sold between November 23, 2011 and January 8, 2012 by participating retailers, Stearns & Foster will donate $100 toward new mattresses for The Salvation Army's residential shelters, with a total value of up to $1 million. In its second year, the program calls attention to the nearly 3.5 million Americans experiencing homelessness, while emphasizing The Salvation Army's continued need for mattress donations. Participating Stearns & Foster retailers can also support The Salvation Army local residential shelters by participating in a retailer gift-matching opportunity.  

In addition to supporting charitable giving through programs like Gift of Sleep, other ideas to give back this holiday season include:

• Give the gift of time by volunteering as a family to prepare a holiday meal for residents of a local shelter
• Gather family and friends to donate gently used clothing and non-perishable food items to those in need in place of traditional holiday grab-bag or white elephant gifts
• Consider a monetary donation to the charitable organization of your choice

For more information on the Stearns & Foster Gift of Sleep program, please visit www.stearnsandfoster.com or contact Jenny Sherman at [email protected] or 312-861-5257.

About Sealy

Sealy is the bedding industry's largest global manufacturer with sales of $1.2 billion in fiscal 2010. The Company manufactures and markets a broad range of mattresses and foundations under the Sealy®, Sealy Posturepedic®, Sealy Embody™, Stearns & Foster®, and Bassett® brands. Sealy operates 25 plants in North America, and has the largest market share and highest consumer awareness of any bedding brand on the continent. In the United States, Sealy sells its products to approximately 3,000 customers with more than 7,000 retail outlets. Sealy is also a leading supplier to the hospitality industry. For more information, please visit www.sealy.com.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States.  30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

*World Vision Inc. study conducted by Harris Interactive

Media Contact: Jenny Sherman
[email protected]
312-861-5257

SOURCE Sealy