One Week Left Before "A Hope to Dream" Goes Global
Jacksonville, Florida (PRWEB) August 23, 2014 -- Only a few last minute details remain before members of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Ashley Furniture HomeStore teams head to London. The two organizations will fly to Great Britain next week to host the first ever Stadium Sleepover at London’s famed Wembley Stadium. 100 children in need will spend the night at Wembley on August 30 to take part in Ashley Furniture HomeStore’s first “A Hope to Dream” sleepover outside of the United States. The next morning, the beds donated by the company will be delivered to the children’s homes.
“The Ashley Furniture HomeStore team is so excited to take ‘A Hope to Dream’ to children in Great Britain. This is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate what can be achieved in your city, your nation, and around the world if we all work together,” said Howard Fineman, CEO and Managing Member of Ashley Furniture HomeStore-Jacksonville. “Ashley Furniture and Ashley Furniture HomeStores have a strong history of giving back, and we are excited by the growth of the ‘A Hope To Dream’ program throughout the United States, and now internationally.”
The first of its kind event in London is an expansion of the program that started last year in Jacksonville, Florida. On August 1, 2014, Ashley Furniture HomeStores-Jacksonville hosted the second annual “A Hope to Dream” Stadium Sleepover at the Jaguars home stadium, EverBank Field. 100 children who did not have beds of their own joined Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley, his wife Michaela, and Ashley Furniture HomeStore team members for a party and sleepover. The next morning, the beds were delivered to the children’s homes.
The expansion of the program to London supports Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan’s vision of sports and community. “You talk about synergy and sharing of really good ideas; I mean, this is a great example of that. There are many ideas – you know, great ideas – in London that we can embrace and serve the community, but this is a perfect example. Something that started here, can serve people - in London and the rest of the world,” said Shad about the ‘A Hope to Dream” program.
Representatives from the Jaguars and Ashley Furniture HomeStore-Jacksonville will fly to London on August 29, 2014.
The “A Hope to Dream” program began with Howard Fineman’s Ashley Furniture HomeStore in Jacksonville in 2010. Since then the program has spread across the country and has donated more than 13,000 Ashley Sleep mattress sets to children in need. Fineman, CEO and Managing Member credits the program’s success to Ashley Furniture HomeStore’s customers because a portion of the proceeds of every purchase of a mattress at a local Ashley Furniture HomeStore pays for a mattress set for a child in need. Families who need beds are nominated by friends, family and social service agencies. If you know of a child who needs a bed you can submit your nomination at any Ashley Furniture HomeStore’s showroom on the First Coast, or online at http://www.ahopetodream.com. Applications can also be accepted at participating HomeStores throughout the United States.
If you would like further information, video, or to set up an on-camera or off-camera interview, please contact Dodie Cantrell at dodie(dot)cantrell(at)cfmedia(dot)net (904-625-3713) or Mallory Wanek at mallory(dot)wanek(at)cfmedia(dot)net (904-232-3001).
Kendall Goss, Kendall Communications, +1 (706) 492-3700, [email protected]
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