John Spreads Happiness by Sending President Biden Dog-themed Socks
John Cronin, co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, cheered when President Biden brought his two rescue dogs, Champ and Major into the White House. Then, John saw President Biden wearing dog-themed socks and John said, “We should send him some socks.”
John Cronin is a 24-year-old entrepreneur who happens to have Down syndrome. The company that he cofounded with his Dad, Mark, is John’s Crazy Socks, and it has a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can do.
John said, “What better way to spread some happiness than to send President Biden some of our Cat and Dog Rescue Socks. I will send him some of my Down Syndrome Awareness Socks too.”
John put together of box of socks for the President. It includes several pairs from John’s Pet Rescue collection that raise money for the North Shore Animal League America, the country’s largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization.
Mark X. Cronin, John’s co-founder and father, said, “There is another connection we have with President Biden. John and I have been advocating to eliminate the sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities. Now, President Biden has proposed eliminating the sub-minimum wage.”
What is the subminimum wage? Section 14-C of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 allows companies to pay employees with the disability less than minimum wage. In fact, they can pay as little as $0.05 an hour.
“We feel strongly that everyone, including people with differing abilities, should be paid a fair wage,” said the elder Mr. Cronin. “It is well past time that we pay people with differing abilities a fair wage.”
This is not John’s first connection with a President. John had become “sock buddies’ with former President Bush and the two exchanged letters and socks. President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act which paved the way for John to start his own business. The former President had written to John:
We knew that people with disabilities like Down syndrome are capable of doing amazing things if they are given the opportunity. You are a wonderful example of what Americans can do despite the challenges that they face. We are proud of all that you have accomplished.”
Here is the text of the letter that John and Mark put in the box of socks that they sent to President Biden:
Dear President Biden,
We are so happy to see your rescue dogs Champ and Major in the White House. And we love even more the pictures that we have seen of you wearing dog-themed socks. We have a sock company – John’s Crazy Socks – and we are sending you some of our Pet Rescue Socks to give you more dog socks to wear and to celebrate rescue pets. These socks raise money for the North Shore Animal League America, the country’s largest no-kill rescue and shelter organization.
We know of your love for your sons. We are a father-son team that started John’s Crazy Socks as a social enterprise. We have a mission to spread happiness by showing what people with differing abilities can do. John is a 24-year-old entrepreneur who happens to have Down syndrome. Since we started our business four years ago, we have created 31 jobs and 21 are held by people with differing abilities.
We advocate for the rights of people with differing abilities and love the attention you are giving to people with disabilities. We have long supported eliminating the sub-minimum wage and support your efforts to change the law that created the sub-minimum wage. Our starting wage is $15 an hour and we think all people should be paid a fair wage.
As John likes to say, we hope you love the socks. They are unisex socks so Dr. Biden can wear them too.
Please be well,
John and Mark
John said, “I am so excited to send these socks to President Biden. I hope he loves our dog socks. I know he has a hard job to do and I hope my socks make him happy.”
