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Pair roll out sock drive

Oak Bay girls collect socks and more for the Dandelion Society
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Leah Smith

Insomnia can, in large part, be blamed for the latest philanthropic caper of two Oak Bay girls.

Jessica Maitland kept getting mid-night texts from her friend Leah Smith while the latter was on a family trip to Europe.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I started thinking about We Day,” Smith said.

Both Grade 8 students have been active in We Day,  a global youth movement to change “me” to “we” and make the world a better place. With her mind racing from topic to topic, Smith texted her suggestion to hold a Sock and Hygiene Product Drive.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, they gathered 88 pairs of socks and some products to stuff them with during a drive at Landsdowne middle school. The goal is to have 100 pairs stuffed with several hygiene products in each pair.

“We stuff them with about four hygiene products we’ve collected,” Maitland said.

Items include shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and facecloths, of which they only have about 10 right now.

“They are really helpful for them to have,” Smith said. “Someone donated a large collection of hats, so we’re going to collect those as well.”

This month the hit Oak Bay Avenue up for donations with drop boxes at The Shoe Place and A LaMode.

The socks will go to the Dandelion Society, a registered non-profit started in 2011 that says it helps those “who struggle with or without poverty, pain and addiction.”

“We like to choose [charities] that aren’t as high profile,” Smith said, noting both girls have done extensive fundraising for Mustard Seed and Our Place as well.

To make certain they hit the 100 mark “we’re going to have a street collection,” Smith said.

The pair will be outside Nicholas Randall, 2180 Oak Bay Ave. collecting for the cause on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 2 to 4 p.m.

They hope to deliver the final product to the Dandelion Society the following weekend.

 

cvanreeuwyk@oak baynews.com