ASU grads take blankets to babies in need

ASU graduates Jamie Entzminger and Lindsay Hughey recently found a fuzzy way to give a little warmth to those in need – both locally and abroad.

Hughey, who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication in 2004, became aware of impoverished families during her childhood as she traveled the world – and, as she grew older and began traveling on her own, discovered her passion for helping those in need.

To realize her dream, she established the Scottsdale-based charity Blankets for Babies, a non-profit organization that offers newborns a welcome with the warmth and comfort of a brand-new blanket.

Jamie Entzminger, president of Mach 1 Global, who was acquainted with Hughey, caught wind of her mission and knew right away that her company, a freight forwarding company with a long-standing commitment to socially and environmentally responsible corporate-citizenship, could help.

Hughey and her team raised money for the production of 5,000 chenille blankets trimmed with satin, affectionately named "Boh-Boh's."

The funds enabled her to secure a contract with a company in China to manufacture the blankets, but the organization needed additional financing to ship them from China to Scottsdale. Mach 1 Global stepped up to the plate and their donation of shipping from China to Scottsdale allowed Hughey to produce 500 additional blankets as a result of the savings in trans-oceanic freight.

"We're so proud to have assisted Blankets for Babies in their noble cause," says Entzminger, who graduated cum laude from the W.P. Carey School of Business in 2006.

"We are in the business of transporting freight worldwide, so it was a wonderful opportunity to contribute to Lindsay's efforts. Our hearts go out to children in need. It was gratifying to see those beautiful baby blankets arrive on our dock, knowing we're helping make 5,000 deserving children's lives a little more comfortable."

"Mach 1 Global's generosity was just the start," says Hughey. "Their team was friendly and great to work with. They may have donated their services to us, but we never felt like we were a charity case. They treated Blankets for Babies with first-class service throughout the entire process. We're so grateful to Mach 1 Global for all their openhandedness."

Hughey presented some 700 blankets to St. Vincent de Paul this month, helping Phoenix children and their families to feel valued and cared for.

In her early travels to Mexico and Argentina and throughout the United States with her family, and later with her high school church group, she began to observe the effects of poverty.

“As I got older I went again to Mexico and Argentina but added Costa Rica, Poland and Prague. I remember everything being dirtier than the United States but the people were amazing. What they had compared to what we grow up is so different.

 “Also going to the shelters here, I have observed that people give them old and used stuff. I knew that we could give a nice blanket that would last and give hope and warmth to these babies."

According to Blankets for Babies, the homeless population has reached more than 1.3 million people in the U.S. alone, 42 percent of whom are under the age of 6. Many of the infants and children in the U.S. and abroad born into poverty sleep with newspapers and trash bags.

For more information, go to www.blanketsforbabies.net.