ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A national retailer is helping those who have served our country stay warm and comfortable this holiday season.
The annual Socks 4 Troops campaign is underway now at Shoe Sensation stores across the United States.
“Socks 4 Troops is a campaign that’s been running nine years with Shoe Sensation,” said Marge Derkos, manager of the Escanaba store. “It started from a gentleman, David Bateman. He was overseas, and when he came back he got hired by Shoe Sensation.”
Bateman knew firsthand that there was a need for socks among service members. Nearly a decade later, the effort is still going strong.
Now through December 31, customers can bring an unopened pair of socks to donate to military service members and veterans. They can also purchase socks in the store.
“I suggest the ones we have,” Derkos said. “It’s a six-pack of socks that’s made in the United States, and it’s got a high content of cotton that works really well for the vets and the troops.”
Every customer who buys Socks for Troops will receive 20% off of their donation purchase, regardless of which Shoe Sensation they visit.
“Our Marquette and our Ironwood locations in the U.P. are collecting also,” said Derkos. “Everybody in our company is collecting for our Socks 4 Troops campaign.”
With so many stores participating, the national campaign brought in more than 50,000 pairs of socks in 2023. In Escanaba, Derkos says the community’s generosity has grown year after year.
“Two years ago, we collected 346 socks,” she said. “Last year, we collected 3,006 [pairs]. Our goal this year is to get close to that number.”
Derkos says every single donation lets a veteran or current service member know that someone back home is thinking about them.
“It’s very important to me as a store manager to ask every customer that comes in, ‘Would you like to donate to our Socks 4 Troops campaign?'” she said. “Freedom isn’t free, so that’s the least that we can do is to give back to the people who served for us to keep our freedom and the people who are actively serving to keep our freedom free.”
The Escanaba Shoe Sensation is located at the Delta Plaza Mall on North Lincoln Road. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
