LAKE BLUFF, Ill., April 25, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 100,000 Japanese children lost their homes and all their earthly belongings to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. But soon thousands of them will, at the very least, have fresh, new clothing to wear, thanks to a Chicago-area children's company, Chelsea & Scott Ltd., creator of One Step Ahead for babies and Leaps and Bounds for kids.
In the wake of the catastrophe, Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S), the international children's charity, released a plea for kids' clothing and blankets. Karen Scott, President of Chelsea & Scott, was eager to help.
Now, nearly a quarter million dollars' worth of new, all-cotton children's apparel is making its way from the company's Lake Bluff, Illinois headquarters to Indonesia, where K.I.D.S. is staging its relief effort. The 3,000 lb. "care package" includes more than 16,000 shirts, pants, and coveralls for babies, toddlers, and kids.
"Following this tragedy, we were moved to help these suffering families," says Scott. "Every child should have clean, warm clothing to wear. We knew our donation could bring some comfort to large numbers of kids in need."
More than 350,000 people were left homeless by the massive earthquake, which registered 9.0 on the Richter scale and triggered a tsunami along Japan's northeast coast.
"Chelsea & Scott has made an amazing contribution, and we're extremely grateful," said Dr. Janice Weinman, President of K.I.D.S.
"This clothing will help children who are trying to reestablish their lives to take that next step forward."
About Chelsea & Scott
Chelsea & Scott Ltd, parent company of One Step Ahead and Leaps and Bounds, specializes in high-quality, hard-to-find products for babies and children. Founded by Karen and Ian Scott, two parents who wanted the best for their own children, Chelsea & Scott rigorously pre-tests its products and also designs unique toys, baby gear, and parenting solutions.
About K.I.D.S.
Celebrating 25 years in service, K.I.D.S. is a global charity that has provided over 65 million underprivileged and disaster-struck children with close to one billion dollars of new clothing, toys, basic necessities, juvenile products, books and more.