Rest easy at JHS mattress fundraiser

Johnston High School’s award-winning music department is about to be cast into the state’s unique fundraising spotlight.

That will happen on Saturday, April 10, when the Ron Lamoureux and Matt Gingras-led JHS music department becomes the first group in Rhode Island to join Custom Fundraising Solutions for what’s being billed as the “Mattress Sale of the Year.” The event was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For inside of seven hours, the JHS music department and CFS will transform many parts of the high school into a gigantic mattress warehouse that will be open to the public. People in need of a new mattress will, as Lamoureux related, “be able to save big bucks on many name brand products during this one-day sale.

“This will actually be our fourth shot at this unique fundraiser,” said Lamoureux, who has developed the JHS music department into one of the top programs in New England.

“Unfortunately, we had to miss last year because of COVID-19.”
While the pesky pandemic is still prominent, the April 10 mattress sale fundraiser will be held under what Lamoureux called “loads of COVID protections in place, and the spaces that will house 25 different styles of mattresses in the auditorium foyer and nearby areas will receive constant sanitation and covers will be available for trying out the mattresses.”

When asked if reservations are necessary, the JHS bandleader replied, “They will be available but not necessary.”

The JHS music department has teamed up with CFS in past years, but this time around, the nationally acclaimed fundraising company - which first introduced its concept in Cleveland, Ohio in 2005 and now has over 100 locations and works with more than 2,000 schools nationwide - will launch its 2021 Rhode Island campaign in Johnston.
“This is a very important sale for us!” Jason Glander exclaimed. “It will be our first in-person fundraiser since the pandemic, and it’s through great partners like the Johnston music department directors who are supporting local businesses and the community. We hope to get some great community support during this event and help Ron’s great group meet its fundraising goals.”

Glander announced that CFS will bring in a crew that will set up 25 different style mattresses in various locations throughout JHS on April 10 and the company is fully equipped to run a safe, socially distanced event that adheres to all state and school district guidelines with the mission to help the JHS music department reach its annual fundraising goal on April 10.

Meanwhile, as Lamoureux emphasized: “This is still a new kind of fundraiser to folks around here. People have questions, like, where are these mattresses coming from? Are they used? All the major brands you’d find at a box store will be available all at major discounts. These are all brand new factory delivered products that will be on sale April 10.”

Lamoureux, who announced that the April 10 fundraiser will also feature many unique door prizes, including several cash prizes ranging in value up to $50 as well as high-quality gifts similar to those featured during the recent and highly successful Crazy Calendar Raffle.

“We are happy to be one of the first groups in the state to try CFS out and we could not be happier,” Lamoureux said. “Their efforts have put scholarship money into our accounts each year and we are looking forward to a great sale this time around.”

The JHS music department chair, who takes pride in each and every phase of the Panthers national award-winning program, paused before adding: “CFS offers nothing less than quality mattresses as some of our student’s parents have learned by purchasing mattresses during past years that we’ve held this sale.”