Sock Hop Marks a Milestone in Generosity
products in 2019. Donations have also supported Christmas Care, and in 2025 the event began accepting items such as new slippers and pyjamas for Smiles for Seniors at Christmas. This year, guests can bring hygiene products and gently worn, clean winter clothing, new personal wear to receive tickets for additional, free prize draws. For Rose, socks provide something both practical and personal. “Foremost, socks are about warmth and hygiene,” she says. “Then there is that real good feeling and comfort you get when wearing clean socks.” That same sense of comfort carries through the afternoon, as neighbours gather to help people facing difficult times. Every donation adds to a collective effort that has grown since the first dance, giving guests a chance to enjoy themselves while making a difference close to home. “Seeing our community coming out and supporting events like ours,” Rose says, “really warms my heart.” For a fundraiser built around socks, it is fitting that its greatest achievement is helping a community feel a little warmer.
A package of new socks can do more than warm someone’s feet. At the Sock Hop with a Twist, it also opens the door to an afternoon of music, dancing and community generosity. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the fundraiser returns on Sunday, November 15, at the St. Anne’s Centre, with doors opening at noon, with entertainment from 1 to 5 pm. Hogwild Band and Friends and Guppy DJ Services will keep the music going, while a cash bar and kitchen menu will be available. Admission is a package of new socks, collected at the door. Rose Gibson and her husband, Dan, founded the event in 2016 after conversations with local organizations revealed a simple need: “Socks,” Rose recalls hearing without hesitation, for everyone from infants to adults. They were among the most requested items, yet among the least donated. Dan suggested combining her love of organizing events with a dance that could help purchase socks. Family and friends quickly embraced the idea. Before the first event was announced, admission changed from cash to sock donations, a tradition that continues today. Over its first nine years, the Sock Hop collected more than $80,000 worth of donated goods, including an assigned value for gently worn items. Those contributions have included socks, clothing, toys, food, blankets and personal care products. “We try to connect to as many organizations or groups in St. Thomas and across Elgin County,” Rose explains. As community needs have grown, so has the event’s collection list. Warm clothing was added in 2018, followed by new personal wear and hygiene
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Page 14 Hometown St. Thomas • November 2026
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