Serta provides comfort to military families through a donation to Fisher House Foundation

Inaugural charitable program provides needed products, meals and monetary donation to organization

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Dec 16, 2014, 08:00 ET

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Dec. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Serta, the leading mattress manufacturer in the United States, is wrapping up the first year of its "Serta Comforts Our Heroes" program by bringing comfort to troops and their families at Fisher Houses across the country, just in time for the holidays. In its inaugural year, Serta's corporate social responsibility program kicked off with a social sweepstakes, a survey of Fisher House location managers for items needed, and an employee volunteer activation. In total, $50,000 will be donated to Fisher House Foundation in product and monetary contributions.

Serta Comforts Our Heroes set out to redefine what it means to support the military, veterans, and their families by bringing comfort to guests staying at Fisher Houses. Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. The Serta Comfort Tour is the final portion of the 2014 program, which will provide items that Fisher House families miss most from home throughout the month of December.

"Serta is honored to provide support for Fisher House Foundation. Heroes are not only those in the US armed forces, but also their family members who sacrifice to support and comfort their loved ones," said Andrew Gross, senior vice president of marketing for Serta. "Through this partnership, Serta Comforts Our Heroes will be providing mattresses, meals and other items to benefit the families staying in Fisher House locations across the country."

Serta Comfort Tour:

This fall, Serta surveyed Fisher House Foundation location managers to determine what was most needed at their Fisher House and what families miss most when they are away from home. As a result of their responses, requests were made for new mattresses and pillows to certain locations. In addition, select homes will be provided with a meal of comfort foods to celebrate the holiday season.

As another outcome from the surveys, Serta employees worked together to personalize and create over 750 "Comfy Kits" that were distributed to over 30 Fisher Houses. The kits included items such as vanity kits, shampoo/conditioner shower sets, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and a Serta Sheep plushie. The kits are being delivered to Fisher Houses throughout the month of December, complete with inspirational notes for Fisher House residents, personalized by Serta employees.

The #SertaComforts Sweepstakes:

To kick off Serta Comforts Our Heroes, Serta launched a national Twitter campaign in September, running through Veteran's Day, which raised $12,120 for Fisher House. Consumers were encouraged to share via Twitter what brings them the most comfort in life by utilizing the hashtag #SertaComforts. Images were submitted that featured people's pets, families, favorite foods and more. For each image shared with the hashtag, a good night's sleep (valued at $10) was donated to Fisher House Foundation.

"Working with Serta has brought so much comfort to the military families staying in Fisher Houses during the holiday season," said David Coker, Fisher House Foundation president. "We're looking forward to continuing our partnership with Serta in 2015."

For more information about the Serta Comforts program, visit http://www.serta.com/about/serta-comforts-our-heroes

About Serta

Serta and its licensees together are the #1 mattress manufacturers in the United States. Serta's product portfolio includes the Perfect Sleeper®, which is the Only Official Mattress of the National Sleep Foundation, and the iComfort® Sleep System, both named Consumers Digest Best Buys. Serta's brands also include the iSeries® Hybrid Sleep System and the exclusive Trump Home® and Bellagio at Home® mattress collections.

As the leading provider of mattresses to the hospitality industry, Serta partners with hotel groups such as Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Choice Hotels International, Best Western International, Omni Hotels and Resorts, as well as Bellagio Las Vegas. Serta has 23 U.S. and four Canadian manufacturing plants. In addition, Serta is distributed internationally in more than 150 other countries. With its worldwide network, Serta is able to respond quickly to customers' needs while still preserving strict control standards to ensure the highest quality. For more information, visit www.serta.com.

About Fisher House

Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans' families an estimated $235 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans. www.fisherhouse.org.

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SOURCE Serta