Most days are filled with rushing around to keep up with today’s hectic schedules. As a mother to four young children my daily routine is hurrying to get it all finished. But the part of my day that I enjoy the most is snuggling with my children to enjoy a good book before bed. I have wonderful memories of listening to my father read to me and now, once my children are in their warm pajamas, they race to be the first to choose the bedtime story. They gather around, perching on stacked pillows behind my head while I read. As I use my best voices to bring the books to life, my kids listen intently, slowly succumbing to the fatigue. Once the book is finished, I tuck them in, content with the close of the day and the promise of a fresh start tomorrow.
Unfortunately, this is not a reality for all children. The safety, stability and comfort of a bedtime routine are only something they dream about. This is where the Pajama Program charity makes a difference.
The Mission
The Pajama Program charity provides pajamas and books to children in all sorts of unimaginable circumstances. Children in homeless shelters, group homes, teenage parents and their children and children living below poverty level are some of the special situations that the Pajama Program serves. Their mission is to give every child a good night to start a good day. New pajamas and a book are two small things that can bring so much peace to a child whose life is so uncertain.
And in 2012…
This is exactly why everyone was happy to participate when Cathie Tourtellot, previously Vice President of Special Projects at ADD Systems, proposed hosting a holiday charity to benefit the Pajama Program. Cathie has since passed away, but her thoughtful project has taken hold at ADD Systems. We began to collect holiday charity donations to the Pajama Program in 2012 and each year we outdo the year before.
What did we do this year?
Our holiday charity efforts for 2016 kicked off on November 8, 2016. Throughout the season we collected donations of pajamas and books and hosted fundraising events to encourage even more participation. Some of the highlights included:
- Holiday Brunch
- Ice Cream Social
- 50/50 Drawing
- And our favorite…
Holiday Movie Pajama Night!
Of course, we can’t overlook the children’s Holiday Movie Pajama Night, one of our most festive fundraisers! ADD Systems’ employees are invited to bring their children or grandchildren and spend an evening enjoying holiday crafts, pizza and a holiday movie shown on the large screen in our training room, while wearing their favorite holiday pajamas. The cost of admission is a pair of pajamas or a small donation. This is an event the kids love to be a part of!
In the end, ADD Systems was able to donate over 300 pair of pajamas and books, along with a check from ADD Systems for more than $2,500. All this was done with the tremendous participation of ADD employees and the dedicated support of ADD Systems. Our donations helped to make a few children’s bedtimes a little more precious.
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