NEWS RELEASE

First Lady Lauren Baker Celebrates the 13th Annual Boston Bruins PJ Drive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 19, 2020
Celeste Bruno
Communications Director
1-800-952-7403 x208
celeste.bruno@state.ma.us

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce that First Lady of the Commonwealth Lauren Baker will celebrate the 13th annual Boston Bruins Pajama drive at the East Forest Park Branch of Springfield City Library on February 21, 2020 at 1:00pm. She will be joined by MBLC Commissioner Mary Kronholm for a special story time featuring Bruins mascot Blades.

The Boston Bruins PJ Drive benefits the Wonderfund of MA and Cradles to Crayons. The PJ Drive’s goal is to collect 13,000 pairs of new pajamas. Many of the pajamas donated go to local Department of Children and Families (DCF) offices, connected through the Wonderfund, to benefit babies, children, and teens. DCF estimates that at any given time the agency is working with 53,000 babies, children, and teens. Pajamas will also be given to the organization Cradles to Crayons which is a longtime partner with the Bruins and the PJ drive.

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. Last year, libraries from across the Commonwealth collected 13,022 new pairs of pajamas, a new record for the drive. In total, over 20,000 pairs of pajamas were collected by 251 groups, 136 of which were libraries.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners 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.

The Boston Bruins PJ Drive runs February 1 through March 15. For more information go to libraries.state.ma.us

About MBLC

The Board of Library Commissioners (mass.gov/mblc) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The Board advises municipalities and library trustees on the operation and maintenance of public libraries, including construction and renovation. It administers state and federal grant programs for libraries and promotes cooperation among all types of libraries through regional library systems and automated resource sharing. It also works to ensure that all residents of the Commonwealth, regardless of their geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability or cultural background, have access to essential new electronic information technologies and significant electronic databases.