NEWS RELEASE

To honor the 10^th anniversary of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive, the lofty goal of collecting 10,000 pajamas for children in need was set. With help from Massachusetts libraries, this goal was surpassed, and a total of 12,150 PJs and $5,304 were collected, a new record for the drive.

2017 marked the first year that DCF Kids Fund, a non-profit that works with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families was a recipient of some of the collected PJs. In addition, Cradles to Crayons continued its partnership with the drive, and also was the recipient of pajamas that were collected.

In total, 117 libraries from across Massachusetts signed up to participate in the drive, collecting 9,182 pajamas and $1,854. This year, many libraries from Western Massachusetts participated, citing the involvement of DCF Kids Fund as their reason. “We are very excited that the pajamas donated will be benefiting our community” said one Western Mass librarian.

“Libraries were a huge part of the success of this year's drive,” said Kerry Collins, Boston Bruins Director of Community Relations. “Libraries serve the entire community, and we appreciate the way library patrons rallied around the drive by donating so many PJs for kids in need.”

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 back to their community. The couple collected 1,600 pairs of pajamas for Cradles to Crayons which connects with social service agencies across the state to identify specific children in need.

To encourage participation, the Bruins offered special prizes to the top three collectors:

First Place: Jonathan Bourne Public Library
• New PJs: 2,078
• Funds raised: $1,540
• Prize: Street hockey clinic with Bruins alumnus

Second Place: Sandwich Free Public Library
• New PJs: 1,001
• Funds raised: $80
• Prize: Special Bruins Mascot (Blades) appearance

Third Place: Memorial Spaulding Elementary School, Newton
• New PJs: 500
• Prize: 200 commemorative Bruins PJ Drive pucks

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) works with the Boston Bruins to coordinate library participation in the drive. Libraries use the Massachusetts Library System's delivery service, typically used to send books and other library materials, to send pajamas to the MBLC's Boston office. From there, the PJs make a short trip across town to the Cradles to Crayons warehouse. This coordinated delivery system allows libraries all across the state to participate in the drive.