Junior August Ovaska, Co-Vice President of Communications for DECA holds a box which will be used to collect donations to the DECA Sock Drive. Courtesy/LAPS
Senior Eva Gerber, Co-Vice President of Fund Raising for DECA holds a box which will be used to collect donations to the DECA Sock Drive. Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS News:
Los Alamos High School (LAHS) DECA Chapter is collecting socks for homeless shelters in Santa Fe and Española during the month of November. Collection boxes are located at the high school in A Wing, D wing, nd E Wing (Activities Office) as well as the Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) Front Office.
LAHS DECA Chapter selects a community service project to support every academic year. For the fourth consecutive year, LAHS DECA has chosen to host a sock drive to solicit donations of new socks for homeless shelters in Santa Fe and Española.
DECA is an international business organization, with both high school and collegiate chapters, focused on business education. DECA students spend the academic year concentrating on areas such as marketing, finance, business administration, and hospitality and tourism. Students participate in competitions in these topics at regional, state, and international levels. DECA students are also expected to participate in an annual service project benefiting the local or regional area.
“Part of the DECA experience is serving our local and regional community,” DECA Advisor Dr. Sharon Hurley said. “Last year we partnered with Los Alamos Middle School for the sock drive. With the help of LAMS and generous donations, we collected 212 pairs of socks in November of 2023. We hope to gather as many, or more, pairs of socks this year.”
LAHS DECA will collect socks throughout the month of November and then take them to the shelters in mid-December. The LAHS DECA chapter has set a goal of collecting 200 pairs of socks to donate to the shelters this year.
“Our students often focus on academics and on preparing for the DECA competitions. The service projects remind us to shift our focus to serving others in our community,” Hurley said. “This year we are pleased to again partner with Los Alamos Middle School as an alternative collection site for the donations. We thank the High School, Middle School, and District Administrators for their support in our organization’s efforts to help the homeless.”
Community members are invited to participate in the DECA service project by dropping socks off at the high school or middle school collection sites. Additional winter items such as gloves, scarves, hats and blankets are also accepted, but the primary focus is on collecting socks.