March 29, 2024

Boston Bruins 12th Annual Pajama Drive

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The Boston Bruins are teaming up with local libraries for their 12th Annual Pajama Drive to benefit DCF Kids and Cradles to Crayons. The PJ Drive’s goal is to collect 10,000 pairs of new pajamas statewide for children and teens in need. “It’s hard to imagine that so many kids and teens don’t know the comforting feeling of putting on PJs before settling down to sleep. To help change that, Seekonk Library is happy to be a drop-off location for new pajamas for children and teens,” said Sharon Clarke, Seekonk Public Library Youth Services Librarian.

The Boston Bruins PJ Drive runs from February 1 through March 15, 2019. Seekonk Library will be a drop off location for new pairs of pajamas for babies, children and teens. Pajamas may be dropped off anytime during library hours with donations collected in Seekonk benefiting children and teens in nearby communities.

Bruins forward P.J. Axelsson and his wife, Siw, started the PJ drive during the Boston Bruins 2007-2008 season as a way to give to give back to their community. The couple collected 1,600 pairs of pajamas for Cradles to Crayons which connects with social service agencies to identify specific children in need.

In 2017, the drive expanded to benefit the Department of Children and Families. DCF’s participation helps ensure that PJs stay in the area in which they were collected, benefiting local kids and teens.

By participating in the pajama drive, libraries will be eligible to win special Bruins prizes including a street hockey clinic with Bruins Mascot Blades and autographed Bruins items. Last year, Seekonk Library received a signed Boston Bruins jersey that Seekonk student Jillian Escobar then won through a random raffle drawing.

Amy Riley, a social service partner from MassSTART that benefits from the PJ Drive, spoke about the impact of the pajama drive.

"Mario, his mom and two brothers are living in an apartment that is not heated properly. The bedrooms are very cold at night, and as a result the children are often sick. Mario and his brothers were also not sleeping well and would end up sleeping together in order to stay warm. Cradles to Crayons was able to provide the family with pajamas, warm clothing, bedding and blankets. This allowed Mom to save money and focus on finding a new, better heated apartment.”

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) works with the Boston Bruins to coordinate library participation in the drive. Libraries from around the state use the Massachusetts Library System’s delivery service, typically used to send books and other library materials, to send their PJs to area collection locations which increases libraries’ ability to participate in the drive.

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