The Santa Claus of socks
On Christmas Day, Dawn Burgess will effectively be the Santa Claus of socks, by delivering dozens of fuzzy kicks to four local senior citizen facilities over the course of the holiday.
Burgess organized a Socks for Seniors drive for the ninth year in a row, which she said collected a record 3,152 pairs of socks this year through 10 donation bins at businesses and offices around the county.
The number of socks received meant she could up the total number of receiving organizations from 12 to 17, which will help more than 1,100 senior citizens.
“Back in the beginning it was three or four,” Burgess said of the number of senior centers helped. “It was 12, and because of the response we were able to open it up to 17 facilities. I deliver to them all.”
The drive started on Black Friday, when Burgess placed donation bins in 10 businesses and organizations around Butler County. This past week, she began taking socks to senior centers, where she has normally been met by grateful staff members.
“We have typically had someone meet us at the door,” Burgess said. “A few of them were surprised and shocked to see them pop up, but everyone has been very appreciative of what we've done.”
The receiving senior facilities are Amity Senior Living, Butler County Area Agency on Aging, Butler County Meals on Wheels, Cliffside Apartments, Colonial Gardens Apartments, Concordia at the Orchard, Freeport Towers, the Grove at Harmony, Lafayette Building, Magnolia Place of Saxonburg, the Orchards of Saxonburg and Quality Life Services of Sarver, Ridgeview Boarding Home, Shelbourne Personal Care, Terrace Apartments, Transitions Healthcare of Autumn Grove and Washington Manor Personal Care.
Butler Township's municipal building collected 291 pairs of socks, according to Butler Senior High School student liaison Peyton Pry. She thanked the community at Monday's meeting of the township commissioners for helping break the sock record. “We just wanted to thank everyone who contributed,” Pry said. “We're going to several nursing homes around Butler Township, and from there they will go to all different charities around Butler.”
Butler Township commission president Dave Zarnick said Monday that the township is glad every year to support the drive. “I'm sure the recipients will be pleased, and certainly warm once again,” Zarnick said.
