LOGAN, Ala. – Harmony School’s fifth-grade Pirates and Pixies clubs successfully completed their first major service project. Students worked hard and collected more than 1,000 pairs of socks, exceeding their original goal of 500 for “Socktober,” a schoolwide fundraiser to collect socks for families in need and give students experience in community outreach.
Organizer and parent volunteer Cassie Swann said the students were thrilled to learn they had exceeded their target, proudly reminding her that they knew they could accomplish it. She credited the school and community’s incredible support for the project, as well as for helping the students surpass their goal.
Swann said the impact of the clubs has already been felt across the school. Parents have reached out to thank her for launching a program that not only encourages community service, but also provides students with an opportunity to take on leadership roles. One parent told her they could already see a difference in their child’s confidence and sense of responsibility.
The lesson deepened when the students delivered their donations to local nonprofit Curt’s Closet. After hearing founder Ashley Wilson share her story, Swann said, many of the students realized for the first time the deeper meaning behind their work.
“Up until that point, they thought they were just collecting socks,” she said. “Once we delivered them, I knew they realized it was for something much greater, and that will stick with them.”
The Pirates and Pixies clubs were created to build leadership, character and community-mindedness among fifth-graders. Their next project, Christmas Love, will allow students to shop for gifts for a child in need from Curt’s Closet and an elderly resident in a local nursing home. Swann said the list of requested items moved her to tears due to its simplicity, and she hopes students recognize the impact these small acts of kindness can have.
Community support for the clubs has remained strong, with donations pouring in from parents, former teachers and even individuals with no direct ties to Harmony School, including one contribution of more than 200 pairs of socks. Swann said she is grateful for the encouragement and hopeful that the clubs will help shape students into future leaders committed to serving others. The groups meet monthly and invite guest speakers to teach life skills and discuss leadership topics, which the students absolutely love.
As a next step, the fifth-graders plan to record a video this week describing their Socktober project and challenge Captivate Learning Center to complete a community project of its own. Swann hopes that one school inspiring another will create a chain reaction of service.
“I hope that something that started as small as socks can turn into something so much bigger and help so many others,” she said.
