For most people, one of life’s simplest and most pleasurable luxuries comes in the form of laying down to relax in a soft, cozy bed at the end of a long day.
Sadly, there are many children who don’t get this everyday bliss. This sad reality is why June 24 saw one hundred child-sized beds, replete with teddy bears, blankets, hats, footballs, Cowboys bags packed with goodies, and photos, filling the floor of the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium. In the second year of their “Hope To Dream” program, Ashley Furniture HomeStore partnered up with the Dallas Cowboys once again to give the gift of a good night’s sleep, hosting a massive sleepover for children who have never had a bed of their own.
The overjoyed children invited to attend were given the opportunity to meet players and cheerleaders, gorge on pizza, show off their moves in a dance party, and drift off to sleep watching a movie, safely tucked in their brand new beds.
Brandon Carr, star cornerback of the Cowboys, was the player gifted the chance to unveil the surprise to the children. Happiness abounded, one little girl even proclaiming it the “best day of her life,” as she’d never had her own teddy bear and bed before.
Founded in 2010, the Hope To Dream organization’s mission is to ensure “every child around the world has a clean, unused mattress set to call their own.” Ashley Furniture donates a twin mattress set, pillow, and comforter to a child in need for each “Hope To Dream” mattress set they sell. They also donate proceeds from every other Ashley mattress set sold. In just four years, Hope To Dream has given away over 40,000 beds to children without. Any child anywhere in the world can be nominated to receive a bed; as Carr said, “You need sleep. Sleep is important.”