Cindy DePetro’s publishing class at Marquette Alternative High School is involved in the annual Rock the Socks! program in which socks are donated to the community. From left are James Garrow, Frank Bailey, Courtney Shiflett, Garrett Levis, Abbi Starkweather, DePetro, Jaxen Parsons, Savannah Fortin, Kayla Herron, Meladee Bradbury and Hayden Bonner. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

MARQUETTE — A sockless society probably is not in the future for the Marquette area.

Marquette Alternative High School is spearheading the annual “Rock the Socks!” drive, which runs Monday through Friday.

And Friday is the day the socks are “rocked.”

Teacher Cindy DePetro is involved in the effort.

Six years ago, she challenged one of her students with fulfilling a need in the community as a way of learning empathy and “paying it forward,” especially during the holidays.

“After researching, they found out that socks are the most requested, least donated item,” DePetro said.

So, they created the catchy phrase “Rock the Socks!” — still used today.

The idea was that for five days, the school would collect as many socks as it could, fashioning their favorite “crazy” socks on the fifth day as a way of saying, “We are aware of those in need and we want to bring awareness by just having our socks on,” DePetro said.

It’s a unique form of advocacy.

“By walking their crazy socks, they’re drawing attention to a need,” DePetro said.

This year, her publishing class took on the role of sponsoring the “Rock the Socks!” event, contacting many schools, decorating boxes, and creating and delivering the flyers to publicize the event to community members so they would buy and donate socks.

“We feel like because all of the places that are out there helping us, it makes it easier for everybody to go to their closest drop-off spot,” DePetro said.

Schools involved as drop-off sites beside the MAHS are: Marquette Senior High School, Bothwell Middle School, Superior Hills Elementary School and the Marquette Area Public Schools Central Office, all in the city of Marquette; Westwood High School and Aspen Ridge School, both in Ishpeming Township; Ishpeming High School, Negaunee High School; St. Christopher’s Preschool in Marquette Township; and Northern Michigan University’s School of Education, Student Social Work Organization and the Athletic Department.

“Toss the Socks” events will take place during the first intermission of the NMU-Ferris State hockey game, which begins at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Berry Events Center, and during the first intermission at the Dec. 17 NMU-Michigan Tech men’s and women’s basketball games starting at 1 and 3 p.m., respectively, also at the Berry Events Center. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade get in free when donating a new pair of socks and “rocking a crazy pair” of socks.

“Toss” events also will take place during halftime of Tuesday’s boys’ MSHS-Gladstone High School basketball game, which begins at 7:15 p.m. at MSHS, and during the first intermission of Thursday’s boys’ hockey game between MSHS and Hancock Central High School, which starts at 7 p.m. at Lakeview Arena.

Businesses serving as drop-off sites are: all three branches of U.P. Catholic Credit Union, Select Realty, Wattsson and Wattsson Jewelers, Swick Home Services and both locations of Mister McGregor’s Garden.

Places “gifted” in the past years include: the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Janzen House, local elementary schools, Great Lakes Recovery Centers, the Salvation Army, the Giving Closet, the Marquette Women’s Center, Harbor House, the Beacon House and Room at the Inn.

Literally thousands of socks have been donated throughout the community because of “Rock the Socks!” — and undoubtedly more will be added this year. Previous year’s totals are: 1,000 in 2012; 2,900 in 2013; 5,146 in 2014; 3,912 in 2015; and 3,075 in 2016.

Jaxen Parsons, one of DePetro’s students, said “Rock the Socks!” is important to the community because they give back to it.

“We’re giving to the less fortunate,” Parsons said.

He mentioned as another example the school’s Thanksgiving dinner.

“Some people don’t go home to their parents,” he said. “They don’t have that. They have to pay for all their own stuff.”

DePetro acknowledged MAHS is full of students of limited means, with 100 percent of MAHS students receiving free or reduced lunches.

“We understand what it’s like to go without, don’t we?” DePetro asked her students. “It sits right next to us in our classroom. We’re not a typical school where a sliver of the population, or a portion of the population, is poor.”

For more information, contact DePetro or MAHS Principal Andrew Crunkleton at 906-225-4321, or email DePetro at cdepetro@mapsnet.org.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.