It was a busy December for Santa and his helpers, and one Parksville Kris Kringle is still feeling the glow from another season of holiday giving.
For the second year in a row, Mark Nagra and the staff at M&N Mattress and Sofa Gallery offered 12 days of mattress giveaways to local kids in School District 69.
“It was the most rewarding promotion I did last year and the year before — we plan on doing it every year, with other giveaways throughout the year,” Mark says, and that’s quite a statement considering the thousands of dollars M&N Mattress donated to worthy causes throughout the year.
“I brought my daughter along for the deliveries this year, to show her how rewarding it is. The joy that it gives to these kids and their families, and the feeling you get when you’re helping someone.”
Sharing the gifts of the season
The community has been very supportive of M&N Mattress and Sofa Gallery over their 21 years in Parksville, so Mark and the staff try to give back to the community as much as they can. For the mattress giveaway, parents, grandparents, friends and neighbours could nominate a deserving child under the age of 18, and Mark chose the 12 winners.
“I went through all the nominations and went with the ones that hit me in the heart the most, the ones that would really lift a person up. Some of these kids were sleeping on hand-me-down beds or sharing with a sibling, so getting a free BC-made twin mattress, mattress cover and brand-new pillow will hopefully make a big difference to their sleep.”
The pandemic has been hard on many families and businesses, and Mark feels lucky and grateful to be in a strong position going into 2022. The giveaways started as a way to help struggling families get through a tough time of year. Parents and other nominators knew they’d been selected ahead of time, but often the lucky kids were in total shock when Mark came to their door dressed in a Santa sweater and hat.
“There were tears and smiles and joy when we were delivering. It was fantastic and made our Christmas that much better.”
When you aim for perfection, you’ll hit excellence
In the year ahead, M&N Mattress and Sofa will continue to build on their 2021 Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Customer Service and their impeccable online ratings (4.9 out of 5 stars across 277 Google reviews, 4.9 out of 5 stars across 67 Facebook reviews and 4.9 out of 5 stars across over 250 Better Business Bureau reviews).
“Our focus for 2022 is to continue offering quality BC- and Canadian-made products and excellent service so we can keep our customer’s confidence. We’re not perfect, but when you aim for perfection you’ll hit excellence,” Mark says.
They’re also planning to renovate and expand this year, so stay tuned for exciting announcements!
Visit M&N Mattress at 291 East Island Hwy, or get inspired at parksvillemattress.com or mnsofa.ca.