Broyhill kicks off Make-A-Wish alliance

Gary Evans -- Kids Today, 4/26/2010 1:49:00 PM

CHICAGO – A little girl's wish for a big-girl bedroom has come true, courtesy of Broyhill Furniture and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

 

Serena Villardita, a 12-year-old Des Plaines, Ill., resident who suffers from long QT syndrome, a degenerative

Broyhill CEO Jeff Cook escorts 12-year-old Serena Villardita around Darvin Furniture in Orland Park, Ill. The pre-teen asked Make-A-Wish for a more grown-up bedroom.

heart condition, has been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for two years. She asked for new bedroom furniture to give her “little girl room” a more grown-up motif.

 

Broyhill and Make-A-Wish arranged for her to shop at Darvin Furniture in nearby Orland Park, allowing her to browse through 18,000 square feet of Broyhill furniture to select her ideal bedroom set.

 

Accompanied by her parents, two older brothers, grandparents and friends from school, Serena received the royal treatment as she arrived at Darvin's in a black limousine. Owners Marty and Steve Darvin gave her a tour of the store. Also greeting her was Broyhill CEO Jeff Cook, who flew to Chicago for the occasion, the kickoff event for a national Broyhill alliance with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

 

“All kids want a special room of their own, especially those who spend a lot of time indoors,” said Cook. “Broyhill plans to put smiles on the faces of many seriously ill children this year with bedroom furniture and furnishings they will enjoy with their friends for years to come.

 

“Once we found out about the amount of furniture wishes out there, we knew that Broyhill was in a position to make a difference on a national level. We could not be happier to see this alliance with the Make-A-Wish Foundation come to fruition,” Cook added.

 

Broyhill expects to work with the foundation to grant about 50 furniture and room makeover wishes across the country in the coming year. The company will promote its Make-A-Wish alliance at the High Point Market and will be seeking other retailers to take part.

 

Room makeovers are a popular item for children involved with the foundation. More than 400 children with life-threatening medical conditions wish for furniture each year, officials said. 

Marty Darvin, left, and Steve Darvin welcomed Serena into their retail store

At Darvin, a family member gave the measurements of Serena's room to Darvin designer Darlene Kadar, who drew up a plan detailing how much furniture could fit in the space. After Serena arrived at the store and found the bedroom of her dreams — from the Attitudes youth collection — she was ecstatic and kept repeating, “Oh gosh, oh gosh.”

 

But she was speechless when she found the room included an autographed picture of her favorite pop icon, Canadian singer/songwriter Justin Bibber. The picture now sits on her new dresser. The furniture was delivered a week after she chose it.

 

“It was so gratifying to fulfill this young lady's wish,” said Steve Darvin. “She was so excited. Her mother said she normally tires out after an hour. But she was here in the store for two hours picking out her furniture and looking at different things. She's a real sweet young lady.”

 

When Darvin delivery personnel returned to the store after setting up Serena's room, other employees applauded. “They were so proud we were able to help her out,” Darvin said.

 

“This is a great opportunity for Broyhill to give back to communities across the U.S.,” Cook said. “Our company's motto is that 'confidence comes from within' and we feel that providing children with serious medical conditions comfortable living spaces will assist them in maintaining their confidence and inner strength through medical challenges. The alliance with the Make-A-Wish Foundation is a perfect fit with our company's values.”