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More than 3,000 pairs of socks collected for Vernon youth, families

On Side Restoration warmed thousands of feet as part of the company’s Socktember initiative
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Socks from On Side Restoration’s Socktember initiative were delivered to Okanagan Landing Elementary. (Contributed)

A Canadian restoration company’s efforts throughout the month of September have helped warm thousands of cold feet in Vernon.

Vernon’s On Side Restoration Services collected 3,162 pairs of socks for youth and families as part of its Socktember campaign.

Four hundred socks were delivered to each of Mission Hill Elementary, Okanagan Landing Elementary and the North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society; 250 went to Ellison Elementary and the Teen Junction; and 30 pairs were given to Child and Youth Services.

The remainder of the socks will be delivered in the spring time to organizations in need of them.

Thirty of On Side’s 41 Canadian branches participated in the initiative, collecting a grand total of 34,129 pairs of socks.

“For On Side to focus our collective team’s efforts and raise over 34,000 socks in our first year participating is really exhilarating,” said Doug Irwin, On Side’s senior vice-president of strategy and growth.

When homes or businesses are destroyed, the company works to make things right. For Sonia Manson, communications director for On Side Restoration, Socktember was a welcome opportunity to connect with people outside of restoration work.

“I think what makes us effective as a group is that we care about people and the people in our community, and so doing stuff outside just our regular work is really important to our team,” Manson said.

Socktember was created in 2020 by DYOJO, a U.S.-based restoration company which raised 5,500 pairs of socks in its inaugural year.

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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