Bethany Littlefield, popular president of the Johnston School Music Association (JSMA) was all smiles as she watched the Oakley family climb onto a king-size mattress late Saturday morning inside the JHS cafeteria.
“They came here from Narragansett looking for a mattress,” Littlefield explained. “Apparently, they like what is on display here.”
Which was, for all intents and purposes, a total of 29 different-sized top-of-the-line beds that were on sale — at special prices that included delivery — during the JHS Music Department’s 5th Annual Mattress Sale.
For some seven hours, CFS (Custom Fundraising Solutions), a national company that began in Cleveland, Ohio in 2005 and has been one of the nation’s top high school fundraising groups ever since, transformed the JHS cafeteria into a huge showroom featuring everything from mattresses, covers, protectors, pillows and other accessories.
Jason Glander, a CFS executive who owns the franchise for Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut, spent much of his time explaining the different mattresses to people like the Oakleys during the seven-hour sale that benefits the JHS Music Department’s programs and the prestigious Rachel E. Carson Memorial Scholarship.
Glander’s brother Matt Glander and Kate Finnegan, who made up the day’s sales force, welcomed all shoppers during the event that resulted in yet another success story for the always-active JHS Music Department.
Meanwhile JHS Music Department Chair Ron Lamouruex offered: “We are blessed with an abundance of kind and caring volunteers who are consistently generous with their time and energy to help at this and other events that benefit our student musicians and vocalists.”
Lamoureux also wanted it known that Jason (Glander) is great to work with. He’s been doing this for a number of years and knows how to guide us through the day — he does everything to help us have super success.”
The idea of the mattress fundraiser came from Matt Gingras, who heads all aspects of the JHS Music Department’s Select Chorus, Choir and all-singing group.
Gingras first learned of CFS when he went shopping for a new bed during a similar sale that was held and host by the Cranston School Music Association and after discussing the program with Lamoureux, the two decided to try the idea at Johnston High School.
“That was five years ago and we’ve had success during each and every sale,” Gingras said. “It’s without a doubt a different and fun way to fundraise.”
To which Lamoureux noted: “Matt and I try to take a big perspective look at a great deal of our events and fundraisers. We are always trying to set up our future endeavors with the seeds we are planting now and now and we’ve learned a great deal about that kind of thinking from Jason (Glander).”
Meanwhile, Jason Glander announced “the Johnston Music Department will realize over $2,000 and we are proud to work with such a supportive group and to offset their scholarship costs. We will be back next year again teaming up with this outstanding group at Johnston High School.”
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