Bona® US announced the culmination of a charity campaign challenge to help benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through the efforts of Thomas Jefferson High School students in Denver, Colorado. The hardwood floor finish and floor care manufacturer offered a friendly challenge to the Colorado school this past September, to raise $20,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in exchange for a complete gym floor sand and refinish (valued between $20,000 to $30,000). Successful in their fundraising efforts, Thomas Jefferson High School presented St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with a check for $21,000, at a special pep rally today.
“We are grateful to Bona and Thomas Jefferson High School for this wonderful donation. Fundraising efforts are core to our success as a research hospital. Families seeking care at St. Jude never receive a bill for anything, so we rely on support from efforts like this one,” said Paty Sands, local St. Jude representative and Walk/Run coordinator. “This donation will go a long way to help children battling childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”
For the past three years, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been the charity of choice for Bona US, with a focus on fundraising efforts and participating in local events like the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer. Bona had over one-hundred employees, family and friends participate in the recent St. Jude Walk/Run, held in Denver on September 22, 2018 to help support the St. Jude mission.
“Our school gym is in desperate need of a refinish, so this friendly challenge was a great way for us to teach our student body about giving back to a worthwhile cause, while receiving the extra bonus of a new gym floor,” said Anne Rice, athletic director, Thomas Jefferson High School. “The importance of giving back is a lesson we hope to instill in our community and seed with our student base as they continue their life journey.”
Bona US, in partnership with Praters Floors (Chattanooga, Tennessee), will begin work on refinishing the gym floor at Thomas Jefferson High School in early 2019, using its waterborne system of Bona Sport products found on numerous NBA, NCAA, and other high profile athletic floors around the world.
“The response to this fundraising effort was just tremendous and we couldn’t be more thrilled to help a wonderful organization like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and also give back to our local school community,” said Todd Schutte, director of eLearning, Bona US (and co-chair for the 2018 St. Jude Walk/Run Denver). “The heart of our business is about inspiring beautiful hardwood floors around the world. When our business can help out a local school and an important cause it’s a win-win-win for all.”