Dawn Burgess remembers her grandmother frequently saying she had cold feet, especially in the winter.

In 2012, Burgess dedicated a new service project to her late-grandmother that aimed at collecting socks to give to residents of senior centers and homes. When her grandmother died, Socks for Seniors was born.

“Seniors are kind of forgotten when they're in nursing homes and assisted living,” Burgess said. “The family that visits are usually only in for a short while, and it helps cheer them up a little bit.”

The sock drive takes place Friday through Dec. 15, and there are about 10 drop-off locations around the county where socks can be submitted.

They include the Butler Township municipal building, Snyder Excavating, Rock Ann Haven, Butcherine's Distributor, Family Bowlaway Fun Center, Missing Links Brewery, Miracle-Ear Kittanning and American Legion Post 117.

Peyton Pry, a senior at Butler Area Senior High School and liaison with Butler Township commissioners, is helping support the project with the township.

The socks will be given to area senior centers served by Meals on Wheels, according to Burgess. She said more than 500 residents will be served by the project.

Burgess said the drive will take donations of any adult socks, but she recommends that the fuzzy kind have some kind of traction built in to keep recipients from slipping.

Burgess said she enjoys seeing the sock recipients open their gifts on Christmas because their designs often give the seniors a humorous kick.

“We get some really wild kinds of socks,” Burgess said. “People don't realize how much fun it is and whimsical to get socks. They think they lose their sense of humor when they're seniors, but it's still there.”

For more information on the drive or for help making a donation, email Burgess at babygiraffe11@gmail.com.