Skaug Brothers Carpet One selling mats to fight breast cancer

Fund raiser to promote community awareness

MOSES LAKE — There's a new opportunity to stamp out breast cancer. Or wipe your feet on it, at the very least.

Skaug Brothers Carpet One, located at 222 E. Third Ave., is joining the fight against breast cancer with the fund raising campaign, "Carpet One Welcomes Your Support."

During the month of October, the store, along with more than 800 other Carpet One retail stores throughout the U.S., will donate all profits from sales of specially designed welcome mats to the American Cancer Society.

While participation is mandatory, Skaug Brothers Carpet One salesperson Jenae Reese said that breast cancer is something the store's employees feel strongly about, with each of their lives having been touched by the disease at some point.

"It's something that's in the community and something that people need to be aware of, because it seems in small communities like this that those things sometimes get lost," Reese said, noting that there is no Moses Lake support group for breast cancer through the national group.

"There's one for Grant County, but I think that's a shame," she said. "I think there needs to be some local awareness that this is going on, that women are being lost to this and we need some local support for it."

The funds raised can be earmarked for Grant County, she said.

"That's something else that's really good about this drive — it's not going to a national entity that you're never going to see again," Reese said. "It can be earmarked for grassroots fund raising."

Carpet One has done the program for the past several years, Reese said, but this is the first time that the Moses Lake store has been able to participate. A similar fund raiser, Daffodil Days, takes place in March through May.

"Our customers are affected by and care about this disease," said owner Eric Skaug. "By joining the American Cancer Society in the fight against breast cancer, we are working to assist with an issue that impacts our customers, our communities, our friends and our families."

Three different kinds of mats — "Tree of Life," "Stripes of Hope" and "Everlasting Evergreen" — are available for purchase, each emblazoned with a pink ribbon design, the internationally recognized symbol for breast cancer awareness.

Made of plush nylon, the welcome mats are water and stain resistant, machine washable and can be used both indoors and out. All three welcome mats will be available at Skaug Brothers Carpet One for approximately $19.99 each.

Reese said that the mats will be available through October, and through December if the 60 on hand in the store are not sold out by the end of the month.