LAHS DECA President Jasmine Heft holding sock donations. This year’s DECA Sock Drive resulted in 1,238 pairs of socks collected and donated to two homeless shelters in Santa Fe and one in Espanola. Photo Courtesy LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Los Alamos High School DECA wrapped up their annual sock drive for area homeless shelters with a final count of 1,238 pairs of socks collected. The annual service project coordinated by LAHS DECA began in early November and ended on December 10. The donations were taken to two shelters in Santa Fe and a shelter in Espanola. Collection boxes for the sock drive were placed at Los Alamos Public Schools Credit Union, the Elks Lodge, Los Alamos Middle School, and Los Alamos High School.
“The generosity of our community and our project partners has been overwhelming this year,” said LAHS DECA Advisor Dr. Sharon Hurley. “We are very grateful to the middle school, the high school, Los Alamos Public Schools Credit Union, and the Los Alamos Elks Lodge, who allowed us to place collection boxes in their establishments. Those collection sites generated hundreds of pairs of donated socks. Thank you to the management, customers, students, communitymembers, and employees who donated socks.”
Dr. Hurley continued, “We also thank Los Alamos High School NJROTC who were our high school partners in this endeavor. The NJROTC collected more than half of the socks we donated. We would not have achieved this level of success without Chief Petty Officer Matthew Bohlen and the NJROTC cadets.”
DECA encourages all chapters to participate in an annual service project. For the sixth year, LAHS DECA students voted to host a sock drive to aid homeless shelters in northern New Mexico.
“This service project helps the students step away from their studies,” Dr. Hurley explained. “The students learn to identify community needs and to take steps to help alleviate those needs. The students observed the strength that is generated when a community comes together for a common goal.”
LAHS DECA Vice President of Hospitality Rocco Del Mauro, a senior and 3rd Year DECA student, volunteered to help deliver socks to the Santa Fe shelters. “This year’s DECA sock drive was a huge success and a great opportunity for Los Alamos students, and the community to work together to make an impact for those in need in northern New Mexico,” he said. “I was especially pleased this year as we received over 1,200 donated pairs of socks that helped reach unhoused individuals in Santa Fe and Española.”
“LAHS DECA thanks everyone who contributed and gives a special thanks to LAHS NJROTC for their donations,” Del Mauro added. “I cannot stress how much of an impact this makes for shelters and individuals especially in the winter months.”
DECA is an international association of business students at both the high school and collegiate level. DECA students focus on learning marketing, entrepreneurship, business finance, and business administration skills. Students also participate in district, state and international
competitions.
LAHS DECA President Jasmine Heft holding sock donations. This year’s DECA Sock Drive resulted in 1,238 pairs of socks collected and donated to two homeless shelters in Santa Fe and one in Espanola.