Story by Ainsley Hall
MARTINSBURG — Martinsburg North Middle School is partnering with Royce Too to host a sock sale to raise money for students Dec. 9-10.
As a sock manufacturer, every year, Royce Too puts together a sock sale to get rid of its extra stock. When it started running out of space for the sale, it decided to reach out to Berkeley County Schools and started a partnership with Martinsburg North Middle School.
This year is the fourth time the school has hosted the sale, as it took a break during the pandemic. Kelsey Dusing is a teacher at Martinsburg North Middle School and has helped put the sock sale together over the past few years. When Royce Too reached out, Dusing thought it was a great opportunity to raise money for students.
“I teach eighth grade, and we’re always looking for different fundraisers,” Dusing said. “We want to send students on field trips and help fund other student activities, and sometimes families can’t afford it. We also want to work with community members.”
During the sale, people in the community will have the opportunity to buy a pair of socks for only $1, with 20% of the profit going toward helping students participate in field trips and other activities. The school will set up boxes of socks in the school’s cafeteria, where guests will be able to find exactly what they need. In the past, close to a thousand pairs of socks were sold.
Students also get involved in the event. Many student workers help out by setting up the boxes and helping visitors find what they need. The girls basketball team also puts together a bake sale to raise money for its own trips.
“As a teacher, I have an intense passion for working with students,” Dusing said. “This event directly affects them. It also creates an opportunity to interact with the community. They connect a face to the school and see for themselves what we are doing to help our students. And it’s always lovely to partner with a local business. Plus, everyone needs socks.”
Dusing enjoys partnering with a business in the community like Royce Too and seeing the company invest in the students. Nicole Harmison, human resources manager at Royce Too, believes it’s important to give back to the community.
“We are always looking for ways to help the community,” Harmison said. “Some of our workforce goes to these local churches or schools that we partner with, so it helps our employees as well. We think it’s very important for us to support our community.”
The sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 9 and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 10.