At age three, John Cronin could not yet talk, and due to his Down syndrome, John faced significant developmental delays. That is when he entered the pre-school program at ACDS and his journey of development and discovery began.
Today, John Cronin is the co-founder and Chief Happiness Officer of John’s Crazy Socks, the world’s largest socks store. And he young man who could not speak has become a public speaker appearing at conferences and events across the country. ACDS remains dear to John’s heart and is one of our charity partners. John delivered another donation check today to ACDS to show his gratitude for how much ACDS did for him and so many other students with differing abilities.
John met 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’s Crazy Socks makes a donation each quarter to ACDS and all of our charity partners.
John said, “I love ACDS and I always love going back to visit.”
John’s Crazy Socks has a mission to spread happiness and John will tell you that happiness is based on dong for others and gratitude. Our Giving Back program is on part of how we spread happiness and it enables us to show our gratitude for the work for our charity partners and to support the work they do. We sell Down syndrome themed socks – some of which John has designed – and a portion of the sales of each of those socks goes to ACDS. Those socks also support the work of the National Down Syndrome Society.
When John first attended ACDS, they were called the Association for Children with Down Syndrome. They operated out of temporary space in Bellmore, New York. Today, they have broadened their mission to serve children with differing abilities, moved to larger, permanent quarters in Plainview, New York, expanded into a facility in Scarsdale in Westchester County and will soon open a second facility in Westchester. They have moved beyond pre-school programs to offer a host of services that support people across their lifespan.
About ACDS
Based on Long Island, ACDS provides lifetime resources of exceptional quality, innovation and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities and their families. Their programs serve three broad age groups: Early childhood and preschool years, 5 years plus, and adult years. 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 $500,000 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.
