• Brittany Clifford, Found of Fuzzy Feet
  Featured on Time Magazine for Kids website
  September 2002
• The Perfect Fit
  Featured on Guidepost for Kids website
  September 2002
• Fuzzy Feet Frenzy
  From the Phoenix Business Journal
  March 2002
• Perfect Fit
  From the Scottsdale Views
  March 2002
• Helping others gives E.V. girl warm, fuzzy feeling
  From the Tribune
• Toe Warming
  Featured in the North Scottsdale Independent

Fuzzy Feet frenzy

Article featured in The Business Journal - Phoenix
March 15, 2002

     Brittany Clifford, 12, has founded the Fuzzy Feet Foundation to put an end to “Cold feet.”
     This week, she donated fuzzy footwear to pediatric patients at St. Joseph’s Children’s Heath Center in Phoenix.
     “I’ve always loved wearing a cute pair of slippers,” she said. “I thought giving slippers to kids in hospitals would be a good thing I could do to make them feel more at home.”
     Vision Products, Robinson May and Steve Madden donated hundreds of colorful smile-inducing slippers in shapes such as dogs, cars and flowers.
     “A stay in the hospital can be a very frightening experience,” said Dr. Robert Pryor, St. Joe’s chief pediatric officer. “Special events and gift can be very helpful in reducing the child’s anxiety about being away from home. By giving a new pair of slippers to each child hospitalized at St. Joe’s, the Fuzzy Feet Foundation is going to warm a lot of hearts – and a lot of feet.

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Perfect Fit

Featured in the Scottsdale Views
By Julie Conner
Wednesday, March 20, 2002

Scotsdale sixth-grader Brittany Clifford is on a mission to keep the feet of children in hospitals warm.

“The best thing I like is giving the slippers to them and everyone laughs and smiles.

     She’s giving kids that warm, fuzzy feeling everyday.
     Brittany Clifford, 12, was inspired to provide every child throughout the Valley with a pair of fashionable footwear to make them feel at home during their hospital stay.
     Brittany Clifford, a sixth-grader at Scottsdale Christian Academy, said the impetus to start Fuzzy Feet Foundation came from her friend Michael, who has undergone several hospitalizations.
     “I’ve always loved wearing a cute pair of slippers. I thought giving slippers to kids in hospitals would be a good thing I could do to make them feel more at home,” Brittany Clifford said.
     Two years ago, Brittany Clifford’s family visited Michael in a hospital and noticed he was having trouble keeping his feet warm. Brittany said she wanted to buy him slippers to end his cold feet.
     The Cliffords of Scottsdale soon realized that most pediatric patients didn’t have slippers, and some didn’t even wear socks.
     That’s when Brittany Clifford took the steps to start Fuzzy Feet and began asking companies and individuals to donate new slippers.
     “I thought it would be a good thing to do for my community,” Brittany Clifford said, “and make their hospital stay more comfortable.”
     Brittany Clifford and her mother Toni Clifford have been working diligently getting the word out about their foundation.
     Today, they will be donated more than 30 slippers to infants and children at Chandler Regional Hospital.
     Toni Clifford said she is very proud of her daughter’s compassion for others.
     “It’s been fantastic for our family,” she said. “It’s given Brittany a vision and a real purpose and has been great opportunity for her to go in and see kids who don’t have what she has.”
     Brittany Clifford said when she gives a pair of froggy feet slippers to sick children, it brings her joy and a renewed sense of appreciation.
     “The best thing I like is giving the slippers to them and everyone alights and smiles,” she said.
     Toni Clifford said three companies answered their requests for funds and new slippers: Vision Products, Robinson May and Steve Madden. She said they’ve come through with hundreds of colorful, fun slippers in a variety of shapes.
     “We got fuzzy ones, dogs, bears, gorillas, bunnies – all sorts of slippers from our donors to give to kids from birth to age 18,” Brittany Clifford said.
     Toni Clifford said they’re hoping to provide slippers and baby booties to children across the United States in schools, hospitals, shelters, orphanages and homeless shelters.
     “It’s been a great experience so far,” Toni Clifford said.

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Helping others gives E.V. girl warm, fuzzy feeing
Scottsdale sixth-grader’s slipper foundation brings comfort to hospitalized
children

Article featured in the Tribune
By Adriane Hopkins

“I got real excited when I realized I could do something to make a difference in a sick kid’s life just by giving them slippers.”
Brittany Clifford, Six-grade student at Scottsdale Christian Academy

     In sixth-grader Brittany Clifford’s garage, you won’t find bicycles, the family car, tools or sporting equipment.
     What you will find are hundreds of warm, fuzzy slippers – some look like monkeys, lions or bumblebees and others are hot pink or glow in the dark.
     “Our whole garage is filled with slippers,” said Brittany, 12, who is president and founder of the Fuzzy Feet Foundation, a nonprofit organization she created last year.
     “The Fuzzy Feet Foundation assists children in hospitals by providing them cozy, warm, fuzzy slippers to help their feet stay warm while they are very uncomfortable during their stay,” said Brittany, a student at Scottsdale Christian Academy.
     After a friend in the hospital awaiting surgery mentioned numerous times that his feet were cold, Brittany brought him slippers.
     From that experience, she was inspired to start the foundation, which donates slippers to children who are staying in hospitals.
     “I love slippers. They are fun to have around,” said Brittany, who admitted to owning four pairs of slippers.
     Brittany approached companies such as Vision Products, Robinsons-May department store and Steve Madden Shoes, each of which donated hundreds of slippers. One company donated 700 pairs.
     “I got real excited when I realized I could do something to make a difference in a sick kid’s life just by giving them slippers,” Brittany said.
     Last weekend, Brittany and her family loaded up the car and headed to California to brighten the lives of children staying at the Children’s Hospital at the University of California at Los Angeles.
     “They had lots of big smiles when we gave them their slippers,” Brittany said.
     “There was one 13-year-old who was wearing bumblebee slippers when he went in for his surgery. It really helped take his mind off the surgery,” Brittany said.
     Fuzzy slippers have been provided to children at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, local homeless shelters and children’s shelters.
     “A stay in the hospital can be a very frightening experience. Special events and gifts can be very helpful in reducing the child’s anxiety about being away from home,” said Dr. Robert Pryor, St. Joseph’s chief pediatric doctor.
     Brittany hopes to expand her foundation to include a visit to New York and even take her donations of slippers worldwide.
     “I want to go to Africa and China and provide slippers to children there, and maybe go to New York and donate slippers to families who lost loved ones in 9/11,” she said.
     Brittany’s mother, Toni Clifford, is proud of what her daughter has started.
     “This is straight from Brittany’s heart,” she said.

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Toe Warming
N. Scottsdale girl founds feet-warming foundation

Article featured in the North Scottsdale Independent
By Cathianne Werner

Brittany Clifford, Founder, CEO, COO, CFO etc. of the Fuzzy Feet Foundation hopes to deliver more than 5,000 slippers throughout the Valley this year.

     Sometimes there’s nothing better in life than to be able to throw on a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers and kick back. It’s a recipe for instant comfort.
     That’s the philosophy of Scottsdale Christian Academy six-grader and North Scottsdale resident Brittany Clifford. When Brittany visited her friend Michael in the hospital a little over a year ago, she noticed he didn’t have a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers and he was complaining his feet were cold.
     She also noticed many other children on the hospital’s pediatric ward were doing without slippers. Some didn’t even have socks to keep their little toes warm.
     Brittany decided there and then that no child in the hospital should go without warm slippers.
     “I’ve always loved wearing a cute pair of slippers,” Brittany said. “They make me happy. I got real excited when I realized I could do something to make a difference in a sick kids life just by giving them slippers to make them feel more at home when they are in the hospital.”
     The Fuzzy Feet Foundation was born.
     Brittany took immediate action. She contacted several slipper manufacturers and told them of slippers-less little feet in hospitals all over the Valley. Brittany expected to receive comments back telling her they were either willing or unable to help.
     But her handwritten notes with bright stickers got the attention of the companies.
     One day, a knock on the door was followed by several boxes of slippers.
     The Cliffords now have a garage full of slippers. They expect it to stay that way with slippers donations coming in and deliveries going out.
     With the help of her 14-year-oldbrother Josh and her 8-year-old sister Rachael, Brittany has sorted and labeled all the slippers.
     “I think all these slippers are awesome,” Josh said. “My sister is reaching out to children.”
     Brittany has the full support of her family in her endeavor.
     “When Brittany had this idea I thought it was fantastic,” her mother, Toni, said. “Ih have done all I could to help her fulfill her vision.”
     Vision products, Robinson May and Steve Madden have all come through with hundreds of donations for the Fuzzy Feet Foundation. Brittany and her mom have been busy delivering the fluffy footwear to hospitals, orphanages, girl’s homes and homeless shelters throughout the Valley.
     “I get a lot out of delivering the slippers,” Brittany said. “You get to see the kids laugh and have a good time. It’s a great time when we get to deliver slippers.”
     Brittany and mom recently delivered over 100 slippers to pediatric patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
     The hospital’s Chief Pediatric Officer Dr. Robert Pryor feels Fuzzy Feet is a fine idea.
     “A stay in the hospital can be a very frightening experience,” Dr. Pryor said. “Special events and gifts can be very helpful in reducing the child’s anxiety about being away from home. By giving a new pair of slippers to each child hospitalized at St. Joe’s, the Fuzzy Feet Foundation is going to warm a lot of hearts-and a lot of feet.”
     Brittany and her family are in the process of growing the Fuzzy Feet Foundation by taking slippers to Los Angeles to be donated to children at the UCLA Medical Center. They hope to take the foundation nationwide.
     Although furry footgear abound at the Clifford residence, the need for donations won’t go away any time soon.
     Brittany is hoping to start accepting private donations in the form of cash or slippers. The foundation’s greatest need right now is for larger slippers suitable for teenage boys.
     Brittany only asks that people keep the donations cute and fluffy.
     “No grandpa slippers,” she laughed.

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