WorldBed Climbs to 20,000 Total Emergency Field Beds

Funded and Delivered Worldwide

Global Holiday Card Campaign Kicks Off

With New Corporate Partner, Vision Critical

January 11, 2011 - International humanitarian organization WorldBed today announced it has surpassed the 20,000 mark for total emergency field beds funded and delivered this year to aid in disaster relief areas around the world. The non-profit organization reached the number as it continued to form new charitable partnerships, the latest of which raised awareness of its Haitian relief effort over the holidays with support from Vision Critical, a global technology and research firm based in British Columbia, Canada.

“Reaching this first major milestone for WorldBed could not have been fathomable without the contributions of individuals and dozens of organizations from both within and beyond the home furnishings industry,” said Laura Castro, executive director of WorldBed.

“Now, we are proud to welcome yet another esteemed organization with a wide global reach as a partner. When Vision Critical came to us with the desire to become a sponsor, we were excited to partner with them on an awareness campaign. Initiatives like theirs go a long way to help us accomplish our goal of providing 200,000 beds to those in need worldwide.”

WorldBed’s partnership with Vision Critical kicked off with a holiday e-card campaign in December announcing Vision Critical’s donation of 100 emergency field beds to aid in Cholera-plagued areas of Haiti. The company reached scores of its contacts worldwide, including many of the world’s top brands, in hopes of inspiring employees, clients, partners and suppliers to also make a contribution to WorldBed.

Corporate sponsors of WorldBed have ranged from single-location retail outlets to large retail chains, major furnishings industry suppliers and world-renown philanthropic and disaster relief groups. Earlier this year WorldBed was granted tax-exempt status by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, establishing WorldBed as an independent, non-for-profit organization

According to Castro, the roster of supporters continues to grow as the organization expands into more areas of the world where emergency beds are needed, such as earthquake-stricken Chile and in flood-ravaged Pakistan.

“With every new organization that gets on board, we have the opportunity to reach thousands more displaced people. We are grateful to Vision Critical for their initiative and for helping WorldBed bring more comfort and joy to those in need,” said Castro.

To raise awareness of its progress and seek partners in the home furnishings industry, WorldBed will exhibit at the upcoming Las Vegas Market, January 24 through 28, in the Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) showroom, C-1350. The space was donated by the SSA.

Click here to donate to WorldBed or to learn more.

About Vision Critical®

Vision Critical is a global research and technology firm that creates software and services solutions for over 600 clients, including one-in-four of the world’s top 100 brands. The company has offices across North America, Europe and Australia as well as a Global Partner Program that provides other research companies and consultants with access to top-of-the-line technology. Its Sparq™ product is the most widely adopted community panel platform on the planet.

To learn more, visit www.VisionCritical.com. 

About WorldBed

Created in 2005 to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, WorldBed is a not-for-profit organization that serves disaster-hit areas of the world such as Haiti, Chile, Africa and Pakistan by providing donations of cot-sized emergency relief field beds consisting of specialized three-inch water resistant, medical-grade covered foam. WorldBed is made possible through the generous donations of its sponsors, including major sponsor Anatomic Global, a California-based manufacturer of memory foam sleep products.

To learn more, visit www.WorldBed.org.