The cold temperatures and biting winds did not deter John Cronin, co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, and his Blue Devil teammates as they competed in the Special Olympics Long Island Snowshoe Competition. The fact that there is no snow on Long Island did not stop these athletes as they ran up and down the sand at North Hempstead Beach Park in Port Washington, NY.
“It was such a great competition,” said John, “I loved every minute of it.”
Special Olympics Snowshoe
Snowshoe may be John's favorite Special Olympics sport. He straps on the aluminum snowshoes and he has trained so long and so hard that the snowshoes become an extension of his feet. The snowshoe meets consist of races as short as 25 meters and as long as 400 meters as well as relays. The Long Island Regional Snowshoe meet began with the opening ceremonies that welcomed the athletes and kicked off the events by reciting the Special Olympics oath:
Let me win
But if I cannot win
Let me be brave in the attempt
The athletes participated in trial heats in the morning. The times from those heats were used for seeding in the final races. After the trial heats, everyone took a brief rest before the final races. After completing all their races, the athletes gathered for the Awards Ceremony where law enforcement officers helped hand out the medals.
John competed in the 50-meter race that came down to a photo finish with the top three athletes finishing within a half second of each other. John brought home a bronze medal. And he ran the 100-meter for which he earned the fourth-place ribbon.
Special Olympics has taught John many lessons and key among them has been sportsmanship and teamwork. John cheered on his teammates as they ran their races and received their awards. He congratulated the other athletes and, given his celebrity, paused for pictures and offered words of encouragement for other athletes.
Special Olympics is Even Better as a Family Event
John’s all the more excited for snowshoe this year because his father and partner, Mark X. Cronin, serves as the coach of the Blue Devil Team and his mother is providing support by taking care of the paperwork and records for the team.
“I love having my Dad as my coach,” said John. “He’s always teaching us how to get better and encouraging us.”
John’s Crazy Socks Gives Back to the Special Olympics
At John’s Crazy Socks, we have a mission to spread happiness. John says the keys to happiness are gratitude and doing for others. Thus, our Giving Back Program is an essential part of our mission. Supporting the Special Olympics is very important to us. In fact, John’s Crazy Socks has donated over $150,000 to Special Olympics New York.
We start by donating 5 percent of our earnings to the Special Olympics. John’s Crazy Socks donates 5 percent from the sale of our Sock of the Month Club to the Special Olympics. And we donate 10 percent from the sale of our Polar Plunge Socks and Shark Socks to the Special Olympics. John designed Shark Socks in honor of his basketball and track team, the Commack Sharks.
John’s Crazy Socks is a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. Started by John Cronin and his father, Mark X. Cronin, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. Every day, they show what people with differing abilities can accomplish.
About Special Olympics New York
Special Olympics New York is the largest state chapter in the country, serving more than 51,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health screenings. The organization also partners with about 250 schools statewide to offer Unified Sports, where students with and without disabilities compete as teammates. All Special Olympics New York programs are offered at no cost to athletes, their families or caregivers. The organization has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.com, making it one of the most trusted charities in the business nationally. For additional information about Special Olympics New York, to learn more about getting involved, or to make a donation, visit www.specialolympicsNY.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 $700,000 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.
