PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SILLY SOCK SATURDAYS
Silly Sock Saturdays president and CEO Zachary Kirkland poses with some of the socks that will be donated to sick children at Lakeland Regional Health.

A Winter Haven resident and member of Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Zachary formed a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation called Silly Sock Saturdays after receiving a school assignment last school year at Bok Academy in Lake Wales. Under Zachary’s guidance, Silly Sock Saturdays gives silly socks and other items, as well as comfort, to kids in local hospitals.

“The idea started originally as a school assignment to come up with an idea to better your community and I took it one step further and actually created Silly Sock Saturdays,” Zachary said. “I came up with the idea of Sill Sock Saturdays because I had different friends and family members in the hospital at the time and one thing they would always talk about is the long, blue socks with grips on the bottom, so I wanted to work off of that and wanted to make their stay at the hospital much easier.”

It only took a month to get going and Silly Sock Saturdays made its first delivery on April 8, 2017. Currently, the non-profit only goes to Lakeland Regional Health and makes deliveries the second Saturday of each month.

“We deliver to their pediatrics unit and make our bags for the child from ages of 3-5, 6-11, and 12-18 years old, then the pediatric unit disperses the bags as needed to each patient,” said Zachary, who now is a freshman at Lake Wales High School.

A nurse thanks Zachary Kirkland’s recent contribution on a Silly Sock Saturdays trip.

The socks are incredibly attractive and funny at the same time. From funny faces to musical notes to polka dots in all sorts of colors, the socks are hugely popular. Zachary even has Wonka Nerds and Fruit Loops socks to wear to special events.

The socks, along with other items such as crayons, toys, and more, are placed in bags and taken to the hospital to cheer kids up. Everything Silly Sock Saturdays receives is from donations or from wholesale purchases with money that was donated, Zachary said.

The reactions have been positive, according to Silly Sock Saturdays’ Facebook page. Among the comments:

• “Thank you so much for the gift you provided for my son Sammy. He is 13 years old and has asthma! You really put on a big smile on his face when he opened up the gift bag. Thanks again for your kindness and great idea!”
• “My 5-year-old received one of your silly sock bags today at Lakeland Regional hospital after being admitted yesterday… It was such a nice gift, and it really made her day brighter. Thank you for your kindness and service to the community!
• “My 2-year-old was admitted to the hospital a few weeks ago and while we were there we received one of Zachary’s get-well gift bags. My son’s face lit up when he saw all the goodies. Thank you so much for all the wonderful work and time you put into your organization.”
• “To help ease a scary situation is fantastic! But when you are laying there and knowing someone cares is beyond warming a heart.”

“The response (from) the patients, parents, staff, and community (is) all have really loved the idea of Silly Sock Saturdays and the impact it has had on kids’ stay in hospitals,” Zachary said.

Zachary’s heartfelt effort for community youth also has impacted many outside the hospital. Canon Tim Nunez of the Diocese of Central Florida wants Zachary to make a 5-minute presentation for an upcoming convention. Newspapers and TV stations have done stories on the youngster.

“Zach is an extremely faithful, bright and pleasant young man,” Nunez said. “But to have this spark of inspiration and to follow it through is truly extraordinary. God’s hand is on him.”

Zachary keeps the sock-giving machine humming through his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SillySockSaturdays/ and his website http://www.sillysocksaturdays.com, as well as word of mouth.

Individuals and businesses are welcome to donate to Silly Sock Saturdays through either page.

“We are very proud of all that he has accomplished,” said Father Deke Miller, vicar at Holy Cross. “Zach has taken his faith in Christ and the work of the Church to heart. He has a concern for others that is contagious, and he lives it out.”