On the seventh day of our 12 Days of Giving, John’s Crazy Socks is supporting the ACDS, a social service organization providing services across the lifespan to people with Down syndrome and other differing abilities. John Cronin, our co-founder, is an alumnus of their preschool program. For every order purchased on Wednesday, December 6, 2022, we will donate $1 to ACDS.
“I am so proud of ACDs,” said John. “They made a big difference in my life and I love going back to visit them. I am so happy that we can support the work that ACDS does.”
John and ACDS
By age three, it was clear that John faced many developmental challenges. He could not talk, he struggled with his physical movements and had a hard time manipulating objects with his hands. These are common challenges faced by people with Down syndrome.
John’s parents sought therapy and help for John and came across ACDS, then known as the Association for Children with Down Syndrome. They fell in love with ACDS on their first visit and enrolled John in the pre-school program.
John thrived at ACDS, receiving therapies and an education that prepared him for kindergarten, but more importantly, helped him fully develop. Carol Cronin, John’s mother, said, “We saw such a dramatic change once John enrolled at ACDS. Their program made such a difference in John’s life.”
John thrived through his years at ACDS and then in the Huntington Public School system.
Today, John Cronin is the co-founder and Chief Happiness Officer of John’s Crazy Socks, the world’s largest socks store. The child who could not talk has grown into a public speaker who has given keynote addresses and spoken to crowds across the U.S. and Canada.
“I am so grateful for the start that ACDS gave me,” said John. “And I know they make a difference in many lives.”
John’s Crazy Socks and ACDS
John loves visiting ACDS and jokes how he would love to go back to pre-school. He and his father and co-founder, Mark X. Cronin, recently visited ACDS at the Plainview location to meet with Executive Director Michael Smith and Development Director Megan Lombardo to thank them for the work they do and to deliver the donation check. John spent time visiting with students and touring the school.
ACDS is an important charity partner for John’s Crazy Socks. We have created a line of Down Syndrome Awareness Products and they raise money for ACDS and the National Down Syndrome Society. John’s Crazy Socks regularly supports the fundraising efforts of ACDS.
A work group from ACDS visits John’s Crazy Socks once each week so their clients can gain experience in the workplace and better prepare to obtain a job in the future.
12 Days of Giving at John’s Crazy Socks
For each day during the first 12 days of December 2022, John’s Crazy Socks highlights one of our charity partners and donates $1 from every order received that day to that charity partner. For Wednesday, December 7, that charity partner is ACDS.
John Cronin said, “We have a mission to spread happiness and our customers know that when they buy from us, they are spreading happiness.”
And the keys to happiness? John said, “It is doing for others and gratitude. And our 12 Dyas of Giving shows our gratitude for the work of our charity partners.”
Mark X. Cronin, John’s co-founder and father, said, “Our customers know when they buy from us, they will receive great socks with personalized service, but they also know they help us hire people with differing abilities, they help us give back and, most of all, they help us spread happiness.”
The 12 Days of Giving is part of the Giving Back program at John’s Crazy Socks which has raised over $550,000 for our charity partners.
About ACDS
ACDS was originally founded in 1966 by a group of parents on Long Island who were seeking services for their young children with Down syndrome. Since then, we have grown and evolved into a lifetime services agency that serves families of children and adults with a wide range of disabilities that include Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Speech and Language Delays, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
Our programs are delivered in a variety of settings, beginning with our educational center and flagship preschool in Plainview Long Island. Our recent expansion has included a special needs preschool in Westchester County and two adult Day Habilitation programs in Plainview and Merrick LI. We also continue to provide high quality services in the family’s home, in community-based programs and in our Individualized Residential Alternative group homes (IRAs) with a current capacity to serve more than one thousand people across all of our programs.
You can learn more about the Association for Children with Down Syndrome at their website (www.acds.org).
About John’s Crazy Socks
John’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $550,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, they are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
