Customatic, Mantua, Matt Firm support foundation

Bedding Benchmarks

David Perry -- Furniture Today, May 14, 2012

PHOENIX - Customatic Adjustable Bedz and Mantua Mfg. are partnering with Mattress Firm to support the Seena Magowitz Foundation.
     The companies agreed to work together at the latest edition of the Seena Magowitz Golf Classic, held here in December. The partnership came in response to a challenge from Roger Magowitz, chairman of the Seena Magowitz Foundation, who asked attendees at the event to find creative ways to raise funds in the battle against pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths.
     Customatic and Mantua officials said they will donate $1 to pancreatic cancer research through the Seena Magowitz Foundation for every Rize Contemporary adjustable bed sold in 2012 through Mattress Firm.
     The ninth annual Seena Magowitz Celebrity Golf Classic, sponsored by the Seena Magowitz Foundation, drew more than 400 participants to the Arizona Biltmore to help support pancreatic cancer research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute.
     During the event, Customatic officials Phil McCarty and Phil Sherman proposed the donation idea, which was endorsed immediately by Edward Weintraub and David Jaffe of Mantua Mfg., the exclusive distributor of Rize adjustable beds supplied by Customatic.
     The charitable effort is supported by Steve Stagner, president and CEO of Houston-based bedding retailer Mattress Firm. Mattress Firm has adopted TGen as its "charitable partner of choice" and has begun raising funds for clinical trial studies into how to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.
     "We have been a major supporter of this event in many ways since its inception," McCarty said. "With Mattress Firm becoming a lead sponsor of the event, and their commitment to carry Rize adjustable beds, we saw this as a great vehicle to contribute to their sponsorship. The hope is that the joint commitment between Customatic and Mantua Mfg. gives us the ability to raise thousands of dollars together for a great cause."
     "It's been said that the mattress business is a big industry, but a very small club," added Sherman. "We are proud of the relationships and friendships we've developed throughout our bedding careers. We are thankful to partner with colleagues in helping give back and support the causes we jointly contribute to, helping make a difference in the world."
     "We believe that a fundraising initiative like this allows everyone to participate in our quest for a cure," said Stagner, who served as honorary tournament chairman for the latest edition of the Seena Magowitz Golf Classic. "Now, every one of our sales associates, management team, and vendors can feel they have collectively taken an active role to put an end to pancreatic cancer. We proudly support this joint initiative and hope that our other supply partners are encouraged to help us raise more as we pay tribute to this event's 10th anniversary next December in 2012."
     More than 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and more than 37,000 will die of this disease, which usually is not detected until it is in its advanced stages, officials said.