It’s like throwing coins in a fountain, only it’s a hot tub and the wishes will come true.

Toss your spare change into a hot tub and hundreds of children will sleep better at night.

The pennies will turn into pajamas for kids in need.

Collette Guida and Pam Dashner operate Sweet Dreams, a nonprofit that provides new pajamas and books to kids in foster care, group homes and emergency care.

The Pennies for Pajamas fund-raiser is noon-5 p.m. Saturday at Backyards & Billiards, 3850 Sinton Road.

“A lot of the children are taken from homes and they’re taken without anything,” Dashner said. “For the kids, the jammies are kind of a security. It has been very cute to see them hold onto the PJs; it’s like they hug them. They are so excited.”

Books go hand-in-hand with pajamas, she said. There’s nothing better than to cozy up with a book.

The pajamas and books are given away at festive parties held at agencies such as CASA of the Pikes Peak Region, Kids Crossing and Zach’s Place.

“Kids pick out their PJs,” Dashner said. “Right now we have 700 we deliver to twice a year. We know there’s a lot larger need. Everything has to be new for health reasons and safety.”

The women, who were with the national Pajama Program before starting their own group to better serve the Pikes Peak region, do this in addition to their jobs at a medical office.

It’s close to their hearts. “Both of us are grandmothers and our babies are dear to us,” Dashner said.

They need pajamas in newborn to plus sizes. “We’ll take whatever we can get,” Dashner said.

They will also provide plastic jugs to fill with pennies for people to set out at work, businesses, churches and schools.

For more information about Sweet Dreams, call 651-5989 or sweetdreamscolorado@gmail.com.

Contact the writer at 636-0253.

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