SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 2, 2017 – On Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, Mattress Firm donated $25,000 in Simone Biles’ name to the Ticket to Dream Foundation at Mattress Firm’s 11th 2017 Charity Golf Classic. The golf tournament raised more than $1 million this year, bringing the total to more than $6.7 million over 11 years.
Ticket to Dream is a partner of the Mattress Firm Foster Kids program that seeks to raise awareness and support for foster youth. In 2016, Mattress Firm and three-time World Champion Simone Biles announced a multi-year partnership to create awareness of the retailer’s national Mattress Firm Foster Kids program and help promote the importance of sleep.
“We’re honored to have Simone Biles as part of our family at Mattress Firm,” said Ken Murphy, CEO of Mattress Firm. “She has been an integral part of our Foster Kids program and we’re thrilled to make this donation in her name.”
The Charity Golf Classic features an eighteen-hole golf tournament, costume contest and silent and live dinner auctions. This year’s philanthropic focus will empower foster youth for success by supporting programs and initiatives that have proven to increase graduation rates, employment, teach life skills and stop homelessness in its tracks. Proceeds from the golf tournament will help Mattress Firm Foster Kids make a difference in the lives of foster youth nationwide by providing support for those who are aging out of the system.
“Our partnership with Mattress Firm has allowed us to expand our reach and help thousands of foster children nationwide,” said Dale Carlson, CEO of the Ticket to Dream Foundation. “Simone has only propelled this initiative even further and we’re honored to receive this donation in her name.”
“It has been a privilege to partner with Mattress Firm Foster Kids to support a cause that is so near and dear to my heart,” said Simone Biles. “As a former foster child, I know Ticket to Dream plays a critical role in providing foster children with the essentials they need to succeed. These donations, no matter how simple, can mean the world to a foster child and I’m thrilled to be a part of this organization.”