Support grows for pyjama drive
It all started two years ago, when six-year-old Rosemary Heights Elementary student Reese Shelly found out that there are children in the world who don’t have a pair of clean, comfortable pyjamas to sleep in.
“I asked my mom if people could donate them if they have them. And we went the Internet to see if there were any PJ drop-offs but there wasn’t any, so we decided to have our own,” said Reese, now eight.
Spurred into action after his discovery, with the help of mom Erin and dad Tyler, Reese created the Christmas Pyjama Drive in order to collect pyjamas for the Surrey Christmas Bureau. In its initial year, the drive collected 362 pyjamas.
“It feels really, really great that there are other people who are inspired, too,” Reese said.
Last year, the goal was raised to 500, and once again, it was surpassed, with more than 1,400 pyjamas donated.
This year, the Shellys – with help from the “pyjama ambassadors,” Reese’s classmates – hope to bring in 2,000 pyjamas.
“I really hope we’ll get our goal,” he said. “There is a bag at our school where people can drop off donations. Our second day we had 20 pyjamas.”
While there are many Peninsula drop-off locations – including Rosemary and Sunnyside elementaries, Kids Books in South Surrey and Browns Socialhouse in Panorama Heights – Erin noted that other Browns restaurants south have become involved, including in Dawson Creek, Victoria and two south of the border.
Lower Mainland Browns Socialhouses will hold a Pyjama Day Dec. 9, offering 50 per cent off the food bill to those who drop off pyjamas. For drop-off locations, visit www.facebook.com/The.Christmas.Pyjama.Drive
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