Giving Back Report for October 2021 

In October 2021, we raised $8,710.97 for our charity partners. Through October 2021, we have now raised more than $464,588 for our charity partners. Giving Back is an essential part of our mission and we are excited by our ability to support others. We continue to learn that the more we can give, the happier we are. 

Our Giving Pack Program 

A core aspect of our mission at John’s Crazy Socks is to demonstrate the capabilities and contributions of people with differing abilities. Our Giving Back Program helps us to achieve this mission. By donating to charities like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society and the Autism Society of America, we enable them to do more work on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities. 

John Cronin, the co-founder and inspiration behind John’s Crazy Socks, initiated the Giving Back Program by committing to donate five percent of our earnings to the Special Olympics even before we opened for business. John is a Special Olympics athlete and knows first-hand the difference the Special Olympics can make in the lives of all involved. 

Since opening, we have added a growing list of Awareness Socks and Charity Socks that raise money for our charity partners. These include our Down Syndrome Awareness Socks, which John designed, and our Autism Awareness Socks. John loves to hand deliver the donations and our staff celebrates when we announce our Giving Back totals for the month.   

Event: Speaking Engagement at Disability Service Provider Network [DSPN] Conference, Rothschild, Wisconsin 

Mark and John flew to Wausau Wisconsin to be the Keynote Speakers at the Annual DSPN Conference.  Their keynote address, “The Possibility that Exists in All of Us” was very well received.  Following the speech, John and Mark chaired a conference breakout session entitled “Changing Lives: The Impact that Employment Can Have on People’s Lives”.  They spoke about how hiring people with differing abilities, who are ready, willing, and able to work but not often given the opportunity, is not altruism, it is good business.  Some of the post-conference comments: 

John and Mark love traveling for speaking engagements so that they can continue to Spread Happiness. 

Event: Gigi’s Playhouse/NYC Annual Gala 

John attended the Gigi’s Playhouse/NYC Annual Gala on October 21, 2021.  Gigi’s Playhouse is a nationwide organization of individual Down syndrome achievement centers provide programing and support for people with Down syndrome and their families. We donated a box of socks for the organization to auction off during their silent auction to help this wonderful organization raise money for their programs. 

We also donated a “Design Your Own Custom Sock” experience for their live auction.  Not only does the winner of the prize get to design their own sock, but we also provide them with 100 pair of their socks along with a custom tag.  John participated in the live auction with the professional auctioneer, and, amid feverish bidding, we decided to award the prize to the top 2 bidders.  So, in a matter of a few moments, we were able to help Gigi’s Playhouse raise an additional $5,000 for their programs!  It was a wonderful and successful evening. 

Event: Speaking Engagement at SHRM Inclusion Conference, Austin, Texas 

On October 25, John and Mark were part of a panel speaking at the SHRM Inclusion Conference.  The panel discussion, “Together Forward @Work”, dealt with diversity, equality, and inclusion issues in the workplace.  The other panelists included executives from Crayola, Johnson & Johnson, and Deere & Company.  The group discussed how to build more inclusive workplaces which is a subject that John and Mark are passionate about since more than 50% of the employees at John’s Crazy Socks have a differing ability.  

Giving Back – October 2021 

This report covers sales and activities from October 1 through October 31, 2021. 

Giving Back to the Special Olympics 

We pledge 5 percent of our annual earnings to the Special Olympics. We also donate 5 percent of the sales from our Sock of the Month Club to the Special Olympics. In addition, each sale of Shark Socks, Polar Plunge Socks, and Spreading Happiness Socks results in a donation to the Special Olympics.  

This month, we raised $492.60 for the Special Olympics. 

Donations to Charity Partners 

This table shows how much money we generated for each of our charitable partners. 

Donation of Charity Boxes 

Every month, we receive many requests for donations of socks and/or boxes of socks that can be used at charity auctions or events to raise money for a multitude of organizations that are doing admirable work on behalf of non-profit groups.  In some months, we have received more than 1,000 requests for sock donations. 

There are many great causes – people working to protect the environment, to advance the arts, to lift people out of poverty, to advance peace – and we want to support many, many causes. Nonetheless, we realize that we can have a better impact focusing on issues concerning people with differing abilities since that resonates best with our overall mission. We do our best to fill as many requests as possible, but we cannot fill every request for even those organizations that are fully aligned with our mission. 

In the past month, we donated 41 boxes to be used at fundraising events associated with the following charitable organizations: 

In addition, we donated socks to Howard Longway for his use providing socks to homeless veterans in Vermont. 

Other Donations 

In addition to our monthly charitable donations, donation boxes and sock donations, in October 2021, we donated $540 to Gigi’s Playhouse/NYC and $150 to the National Down Syndrome Society. 

Summary 

In summary, we made the following donation in October 2021: 

1. Monthly Donations to Charity Partners                 $ 3,410.97
2. Charity Boxes                                                             $ 4,100.00
3. Other Donations                                                         $     750.00 

Total                                                                                      $ 8,710.97 

Our Charity and Awareness Socks 

Charity and Awareness Socks are a large part of our Giving Back Program. The sale of each Charity and Awareness sock results in a donation to a specific charity. 

The following lists our Charity and Awareness Socks as well as the related charity partner. 

Nothing makes us happier than giving back to charity. We work together with our charity partners to help raise awareness for their causes. Then we report on this activity for our customers. Without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you. 

If you have questions or would like to comment on this report, please contact Mark X. Cronin at mxcronin@JohnsCrazySocks.com.