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Pufferbellies promotes local charities

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Pufferbellies, a toy and book store in Downtown Staunton, is promoting area organizations with Shop Sunday for a Cause. This November, 10 percent of the store’s Sunday sales will go to the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education.

Susan and Erin Blanton opened their store in July 2006 and have been doing Shop Sunday for a Cause since the beginning. “One important organization we donate to is CASA for Children, which help children who have dealt with abuse and neglect. Our first donation went to the Children’s Art Network, which we now donate to every September,” said Susan Blanton.

“So many things are closed on Sundays, and we are one of the few places that are actually open, so we wanted to not only help promote ourselves, but give back a little while we do it,” said Blanton.

Since the store began Shop Sunday, they have donated to 17 different nonprofit organizations and over $10,000 in total monies. The P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education is an organization that supports the integration of art into the school systems. Other organizations Pufferbellies has donated to include the Augusta Free Clinic, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, People Places, ShenanArts, Valley Children’s Center and Camp Dragonfly.

Different area organizations apply each year in hopes that the November donations will go to them.

“Our main criteria for choosing a charity is that it must be a nonprofit organization, and it needs to benefit children or families,” Blanton said.

On the web

PufferbelliesToys.com

Story by Jenny Hypes. Jenny can be reached at [email protected].

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