The Ronald McDonald House of Gainesville will need some helping hands next week.
The organization will need volunteers from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 21 and 23 to move 51 mattresses and 51 box springs from storage containers into its 31 guest rooms, said Theresa Drews, house operations director at Gainesville's Ronald McDonald House.
Tempur-Pedic donated the beds Monday. The Ronald McDonald House provides temporary housing for families with critically ill children receiving treatment at Gainesville hospitals.
Mike Mason, the director of brand development and integration at Tempur-Pedic, said the company was eager to provide mattresses for families staying at the house because they are in need of a good night's sleep.
"We give people their best night's sleep," Mason said. "So there is this great connection between what we do and the charity."
The brand became an official sponsor for the charity in January 2010. Since then, Tempur-Pedic has donated about 2,500 beds, Mason said.
Tempur-Pedic's goal is to replace beds at every Ronald McDonald House in the U.S. by 2014, he said.
Drews said she knows the importance of the loving and comfortable atmosphere the houses provide. Three years ago, she stayed at the Chicago house while her 14-year-old nephew was being treated for brain cancer at the Children's Memorial Hospital.
Mason hopes other companies and individuals will follow suit in donating their time and resources to charities.
"It really is about doing the right thing," he said.
