Young America Surprises Military Families with Nursery Furniture
Young America surprised approximately 30 expectant mothers and new moms whose spouses are deployed members of the U.S. Navy with their own sets of nursery furniture during an Operation Shower® Birdies for the Brave® group baby shower, which was held on Friday, November 30 at the prestigious TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Part of the PGA TOUR’s Birdies for the Brave fundraising weekend, the “Babies for the Brave”-themed event was hosted by Amy Mickelson, wife of PGA TOUR player Phil Mickelson, and Cathy Justice, wife of Greenbrier Resort Owner Jim Justice.
“Preparing for the birth of a child is one of the most important times in a couple’s life,” said Neil MacKenzie, director of marketing for Stanley Furniture. “However, for the thousands of military moms-to-be whose spouses are overseas, the experience can be somewhat bittersweet because a key family member is missing. Young America decided to participate in the ‘Babies for the Brave’ event as a way to show our appreciation for the sacrifices these military families make to ensure our nation’s safety. We’re proud to know that our nursery furniture will keep the newest additions to these families safe as they await their parents’ return home.”
Held in the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, the shower featured a special grand prize raffle of a Young America furniture package, which included a Young America crib and case piece, along with a Colgate crib mattress. Although Operation Shower positioned the prize as a single gift for one lucky mom, the attendees were ecstatic when Young America surprised the moms by announcing that they all would receive the furniture prize.
“The moms who attended the shower had absolutely no idea that they would be getting nursery furniture from Young America, and their reactions to the news were priceless!” said Amy Mickelson (shown above with winning family). “There was an audible gasp as everyone realized they had won, and some attendees were in tears, while others cheered like they had won the lottery. Thankfully, the excitement didn’t cause anyone to go into labor!”
The prizes included selections from across Young America’s stylish furniture collections, which are made in the U.S.A. at Young America’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Robbinsville, N.C. The moms at the shower were impressed to learn that Young America furniture is the safest furniture parents can buy for a child and found the company’s Built to Grow story quite appealing.
In addition to the Young America furniture, each of the moms received Operation Shower’s signature “Shower in a Box,” which contains high-quality, unique mom and baby products, including onesies, crib bedding, clothing, diaper bags and toys. Prior to the “Shower in a Box” presentation, the guests listened to short speeches from shower hosts Amy Mickelson and Cathy Justice. During her address, Mickelson described her grandmother’s experience as a military wife, which was similar to that of the shower honorees. In fact, she relayed that her grandfather had missed the birth of his daughter because he was stationed abroad and was unable to come home until his child was 18 months old. Justice spoke of the important role mothers play in children’s lives and discussed the Greenbrier Resort’s commitment to charity and to the military. She even invited the moms to visit the resort should they ever come to West Virginia.
Following the remarks from Mickelson and Justice, Operation Shower Founder and Chief Shower Officer LeAnn Morrissey explained the organization’s mission and announced that with the completion of the “Babies for the Brave” event, Operation Shower will have “showered” its 1,000th military mom since its founding in 2007. “Military moms are really the unsung heroes of our nation,” Morrissey said after the event. “Although they aren’t serving overseas like their spouses, these women face an array of challenges — everything from the day-to-day stress of running a household alone to the unspoken fear that their loved one might not return home — and they do it with a quiet strength that deserves our utmost respect. It’s rewarding to know that Young America’s gifts will bring joy to these special families, who give up so much for their country.”
Golf Channel viewers can get an inside look at the “Babies for the Brave” event during a special program dedicated to the Birdies for the Brave fundraising weekend that is scheduled to air on Wednesday, December 12 at 7 p.m. EST.
Source: operationshower.org
