GREENWICH — Mates hoping to drop by the Bogardus home for dinner this month would possibly need to pencil in a November night as an alternative.
That is October and — with 11-year-old Jackson Bogardus laborious at work — his household’s house is stuffed with socks.
The Jap Center Faculty sixth-grader is the founding father of Jackson’s Socktober, a three-year-old drive to gather socks and ensure everybody in the neighborhood has toasty toes this winter.
“They take over the eating room,” his dad, Invoice Bogardus, mentioned of the 1000’s of pairs of socks that pile up in the home every fall. “No matter he comes up with to gather extra socks, we attempt to do.”
Jackson’s inspiration got here one night a couple of years in the past when Invoice Bogardus and his spouse, Jenn, had been heading out to a fundraiser for the Underwear Venture, a Greenwich initiative to offer panties, boxers and briefs to males, ladies and youngsters in want.
“Perhaps I ought to try this,” he informed his dad and mom.
Studying that socks are probably the most requested merchandise of clothes by individuals in homeless shelters, the preteen launched the primary Socktober in 2019. In that first 12 months, Jackson managed to gather and donate a whopping 2,000 pairs of socks — additionally catching the attention of Bombas, an attire firm recognized for donating an merchandise for every merchandise bought by its prospects.
The second 12 months, Bombas agreed to assist make Socktober a roaring success, the Bogarduses mentioned. With the corporate’s assist, Jackson managed to donate 8,000 pair of socks in October 2020.
“If I get 100, they might give me 200,” he mentioned.
This 12 months Bombas is on board once more, and Jackson is making appearances at quite a lot of native occasions to assist increase the drive. He has additionally created his annual video, which is viewable on his web site at www.jacksonsocktober.com, to get out the phrase on the drive.
“White socks, black socks, blue socks, tie-dyed socks, Mets socks — even bacon socks! There are socks for each event,” mentioned the full of life sixth-grader, changing the sock puppet star of final 12 months’s present.
Socktober assortment bins have been positioned at areas throughout city, at Threads & Treads, Greenwich Pediatric Dental Group, Jap Center Faculty, Riverside Faculty, Outdated Greenwich Farmers Market, Greenwich Botanical Middle, Mike’s Natural and Aux Delices. Financial donations are additionally accepted on the web site.
Jackson, who likes to fish and play hockey, soccer and video video games when he’s not amassing socks, will donate his collections to Inspirica in Stamford and different companies that serve males, ladies and youngsters in want.
October turns into Socktober
Socktober assortment bins are situated at Threads and Treads, Greenwich Pediatric Dental Group, Jap Center Faculty, Riverside Faculty, Outdated Greenwich Farmers Market, Greenwich Botanical Middle, Mike’s Natural and Aux Delices.
For extra info or to make a donation, go to www.jacksonsocktober.com.
Lucy Langley and Laura Delaflor, the creators of The Underwear Venture, mentioned they’re proud to have impressed the teen’s spectacular foray into charitable giving.
“After we created The Underwear Venture seven years in the past, we had no concept the affect it will have exterior of us donating underwear to these in want,” they mentioned. “He even has his personal web site now. We hope that Jackson’s philanthropy will encourage different kids to present again.”
For extra details about the sock drive or to make a donation, go to www.jacksonsocktober.com.
