West Coast retailers help kids

For Sleep Train and Sleep Country USA, two West Coast sleep shop chains owned by parent company Sleep Train Inc. in Sacramento, Calif., 2011 was a banner year of fundraising for their foster children programs. Retailer Sleep Train, with more than 250 locations, collected more than 160,000 items of clothing, gifts and school supplies in 2011 for foster children, a 60% increase in donations over 2010. It also raised more than $500,000 at an annual golf event. Sleep Country USA, which has more than 80 locations in the Pacific Northwest, collected more than 101,000 articles of clothing, holiday gifts and school supplies for foster children in 2011. It was the best year to date for its 6-year-old Foster Kids Program. Last year, the retailer also raised more than $125,000 from its annual Pajama Bowl events.