MARQUETTE – They’re not diamond earrings, but the socks donated by Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers to Rock the Socks! still should be appreciated.

The annual sock-collection campaign involves students from Marquette Alternative High School, located at Vandenboom in Marquette Township, who put out boxes at various drop-off sites where the community could donate socks through about the first week of December.

The socks are to be donated to needy people in the community.

Chris Wattsson, owner of the Marquette jewelry business, dropped off boxes of socks Tuesday at Vandenboom.

Wattsson collected 135 pairs of socks and made an extra donation on his own.

“We didn’t end up getting all of what we wanted, but, you know, I still went out and got 547 pairs of socks,” he said.

Wattsson expressed a belief in the Rocks the Socks! mission, which is to get socks on the feet of local residents during the cold weather

“And everyone needs socks,” he said.

The project has grown, according to past numbers. A total of 1,000 pairs of socks were donated in 2012, followed by 2,900 in 2013 and 5,146 in 2014.

Marquette Alternative High School teacher Cynthia DePetro, who is helping to coordinate Rock the Socks!, made note of Wattsson’s large donation.

“This is the biggest single donation that we’ve gotten so far,” she said.

The high schoolers choose to whom they want to give the socks – which must stay local – and they count and report the numbers to the school.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.