Cole Strzepek and Justin Saunders in The Capecod.com Newscenter
HARWICH – “Cole’s Socks for Smiles”, a campaign originally intended to collect 500 pairs of socks for patients at Boston Children’s Hospital has collected over 40,000 pairs of socks since the campaign began late last summer.
Cole Strzepek, a seventh grader at Monomoy Regional Middle School, started the campaign with his mother Erica after a recent trip to Boston Children’s Hospital.
“We’ve collected somewhere over 42,000 socks,” said Erica Strzepek, who also works for the Harwich Cultural Center.
“It’s amazing.”
Cole, who suffers from epilepsy, spent time at Boston Children’s in the past and said that a bright spot during previous trips had been picking out socks set aside for the child patients.
When he returned to the hospital however, Cole learned from a child life specialist that the socks were no longer available.
Cole and his mother responded to this by setting up a “Cole’s Socks for Smiles” Facebook page, and the sock drive quickly generated interest.
“It took off so quickly with such a positive response, it was really amazing to see,” said Erica.
“I think when we started seeing messages about young children who were collecting socks instead of birthday gifts or girl scouts who were doing chores in order to pick out their one pair of socks to donate, that’s when it really felt just so much more meaningful and so special.”
“Cole’s Socks for Smiles” has received donations from people in Washington State, Florida, Pennsylvania, and California, as well as right here on Cape Cod with donations from the Harwich Department of Public Works, Harwich Elementary and High School’s among others.
The most notable donation however came from the Boston Red Sox.
“We were fortunate enough to receive socks from the Red Sox,” Erica said.
Along with the donated socks, the team sent Cole a signed ball from pitcher Chris Sale.
When asked about what it’s like to give back to the community, Cole said “It feels good because the people will get happy and I like them being happy.”
“Cole’s Socks for Smiles” looks for fun, colorful, and funny socks for children from birth to ages 21 to be donated to Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.
For more information on donating socks to the campaign, visit the “Cole’s Socks for Smiles” Facebook page.
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