Mattress Firm to Host Global Cardboard Challenge Events across the U.S. in Partnership with the Imagination Foundation

Furniture World News Desk on 10/4/2013

Mattress Firm, Inc., the nation’s largest specialty mattress retailer, announced that it will host Global Cardboard Challenge events at six local stores on October 5, 2013 as part of their partnership with the Imagination Foundation. The Global Cardboard Challenge is a worldwide celebration of creativity, which culminates around the world on October 5, 2013, in a day of play, where children are challenged to design and build creations using cardboard and recycled materials.

Inspired by the short film, "Caine's Arcade," the Cardboard Challenge is an international celebration of child creativity and the role communities can play in fostering it. The first Global Cardboard Challenge took place in October 2012, with over 270 events organized by volunteers in 41 countries on six continents. The Foundation’s goal is to engage 1 million children from 70 countries in creative play in 2013.

Mattress Firm will be hosting Global Cardboard Challenge events at six retail locations. Local-area residents are invited to participate in the events at the locations listed below:

· Matthews, NC 2021 Matthews Township Pkwy 10A.M. – 2P.M.

· Miami, FL 2020 NW 107 Avenue 9A.M. – 2P.M.

· Mobile, AL 3683 Airport Boulevard 9A.M. – 2P.M.

· Muncie, IN 3200 North Granville Avenue 9A.M. – 2P.M.

· Aberdeen, NC 292 Turner Street, Suite A 9A.M. – 2P.M.

· Houston, TX 5815 Gulf Freeway 11A.M. – 2P.M.

Additionally, Mattress Firm will be hosting a Global Cardboard Challenge in partnership with the Children’s Museum of Cleveland from 10am – 4pm. The amusement park-themed event will have a group of student engineers on-site to assist with designing cardboard creations, with 300-500 families expected to participate.

As the national ‘Challenge America’ sponsor for the 2nd Annual Global Cardboard Challenge, Mattress Firm has played a significant role in helping the Imagination Foundation reach its goal to find, foster and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in children around the world. Throughout the month of September, Mattress Firm collected and donated cardboard, markers, crayons, scissors, tape, glue and other craft supplies at more than 1,100 locations across the country. The donated supplies will be delivered to schools, community groups and other local organizations that will be participating in the Global Cardboard Challenge.

“We are thrilled to be able to support The Imagination Foundation in their mission to inspire and foster creativity in children around the world,” said Steve Stagner, president and CEO of Mattress Firm. “Supporting the Cardboard Challenge at our retail locations offers us the unique opportunity to connect with, and inspire, members of our local community, and also allows us to showcase the important role that sleep plays in fostering creativity in children.”

For more information on these events, visit www.facebook.com/mattressfirm and click on events.

For more information on the Cardboard Challenge, please visit www.cardboardchallenge.com.

About Mattress Firm: Houston-based Mattress Firm (NASDAQ: MFRM) is a high growth specialty retailer, recognized as one of the nation’s largest specialty bedding companies, offering a broad selection of both traditional and specialty mattresses, bedding accessories and related products from leading manufacturers. With more than 1100 stores across 28 states, Mattress Firm has the largest geographic footprint in the United States among mattress specialty retailers. Mattress Firm offers customers comfortable store environments, guarantees on price, comfort and service, and highly-trained sales professionals. More information at www.mattressfirm.com

About Imagination Foundation: The mission of the Imagination Foundation is to find, foster and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in children around the world to raise a new generation of innovators and problem solvers who have the tools they need to build the world they imagine.

The Imagination Foundation is growing a worldwide movement to promote creativity as a core social value and a critical skill for the 21st Century. To fuel this movement, they tell inspirational stories of creative children, produce large-scale events, campaigns and challenges, and provide teachers, parents and communities everywhere with the knowledge, tools and inspiration they need to develop child creativity. The Global Cardboard Challenge is their hallmark program to engage 1 million children in 70 countries in creative play.

For more information about Caine’s Arcade and the Imagination Foundation, visit www.imagination.is.