Lazydays Employee Foundation Makes Final Payment on $400,000 Pledge to Build Shelter for Abused Children

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Feb 22, 2010, 10:00 ET

SEFFNER, Fla., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Lazydays RV believes in providing a better future for the children of their community. Recently the Lazydays Employee Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation comprised of the men and women who work at Lazydays and primarily funded by voluntary payroll deductions, made the final payment of a $400,000 pledge to build a shelter for abused children in Hillsborough County.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100222/FL58033)

Located in Brandon, FL "The Lazydays House" is a kid-friendly, state-of-the-art safe haven for children who have been removed from an abusive home by the state and await placement in a foster home. Previously, no such facility existed in Hillsborough County. As a result, children who were removed from abusive domestic circumstances often spent the night in an open jail cell or on the floor of a welfare agency. Siblings were frequently placed in separate foster homes due to space limitations. The Lazydays House will ensure that not only are abused children welcomed with open and caring arms, but they also remain with their siblings in a comforting and loving environment.

Dana Philp, a 25-year veteran of Lazydays RV and President of the Lazydays Employee Foundation, believes the shelter is the realization of a long awaited dream that became a reality thanks in large part to the selfless generosity of her fellow Lazydays employees. "Almost every dollar of our pledge was raised through voluntary payroll deductions," said Philp who admittedly had her doubts about raising the funds during a historic recession," we all pressed on under the rally cry 'we pay the kids first!'"

The Lazydays Employee Foundation commemorated their final payment of $100,000 with the presentation of a ceremonial check to A Kid's Place, a local children's charity with whom the Foundation partnered to build the shelter. "We can't thank the employees of Lazydays enough, said Virginia Johnson, Executive Director of A Kid's Place, "the Lazydays Employee Foundation is truly dedicated to our community's most vulnerable children."

Lazydays Employee Foundation was formed as a non-profit corporation by the employees of Lazydays in order to enhance their ability to support their community's at-risk children. To date the employees of Lazydays have generated pledges of over $1,000,000 for children's charities in the Tampa Bay area. For more information please visit ldpf.org.

A Kid's Place has housed and cared for more than 150 underprivileged, abused and neglected children since opening its doors in June 2009. Each of its five homes has live-in house parents who provide a consistent and nurturing family atmosphere for the children. It is the only shelter facility of its kind in Hillsborough County where siblings are placed together rather than being separated, which is critical during such a devastating time. For more information please visit akidsplacetb.org.

About Lazydays

Since opening in 1976 with two travel trailers and $500, Lazydays has grown to become a home for those who love RVing. Today, the company's continued focus on RV expertise and unparalleled customer service has made it the largest single-site RV dealership in North America. To learn more, visit Lazydays.com.

CONTACT: Kristy Rosier, +1-813-246-4999 ext. 4554, [email protected]

SOURCE Lazydays RV