1,120 socks donated by Holy Spirit Catholic School for seniors in need for #Socktober
Sherwood Park, AB - Through an October #Socktober collection drive, Grade 4 students at Holy Spirit Catholic School led an initiative that resulted in the donation of 1,120 pairs of socks to help seniors who are in need.
“#Socktober provided an opportunity to bring our division theme to life as we Go Light Our World through supporting seniors in need within our community,” said Principal Aoife Cahill of the Oct. 10 to Oct. 27 donation drive. “Our staff were inspired following our professional development day in October where we volunteered at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples. While there, Grade 4 teacher Brandy Smith read about Operation Friendship Senior Society and the #Socktober initiative.”
The socks were donated during a school assembly on Friday, Oct. 27 to Operation Friendship Senior Society (OFSS). They will be given to seniors living in OFSS residences as well as to those who are at least age 55 and in need in Edmonton’s inner city. Having a dry pair of socks as backup can help prevent frostbite and other health issues caused by having wet feet or wearing damp footwear in cold weather.
OFSS Community Relations Manager Jimmy Morrison said the annual #Socktober campaign is crucial for the seniors who are served by the non-profit organization.
“We thank Holy Spirit Catholic School for the donation of 1,120 pairs of warm socks for #Socktober. A pair of socks is a basic necessity item that we sometimes take for granted,” he said. “For our seniors, it represents warmth and hope, and they know that someone cares about them.”
To collect as many socks as possible, Brandy worked with fellow Grade 4 teacher Lisa Hall and some Grade 4 students to coordinate a kick-off event and host other initiatives – including a sock hop party and creating a sock wall – throughout the donation drive to encourage giving.
“We hung each pair of socks up and created a huge number line in groups of 10, which became a fantastic opportunity to learn math, and also see just how much you can do to help out others when you work together,” Brandy said. “The students were excited to see if we could break our goal of collecting 500 socks, and they were astonished to see that not only did we break our goal, but we more than doubled it!”
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EICS, part of Alberta’s publicly funded education system, is committed to developing educational opportunities in the context of Gospel values. EICS is dedicated to providing quality, faith-based learning environments to students of any background and faith, where their skills are nurtured and celebrated by dedicated, caring staff.
For more information or to request at interview, please contact:
Michael Di Massa
Communications Coordinator
Elk Island Catholic Schools
780.449.7487 | michael.dimassa[at]eics.ab.ca