PERRY, Ga. — After a Perry teen was murdered three years ago, his family is keeping his memory alive using socks.
Sam Poss’ mother, Nicole, is asking people to donate socks to help homeless people around central Georgia.
When Poss was killed three years ago, his family started a scholarship for Perry High School band students, but this year, they wanted to go even bigger.
"We are trying to get 5,000 socks by the end of November for the homeless," said Nicole.
You might be wondering, "Why socks?"
"Sam always wore mismatched socks. That’s just kind of the way we’ve chosen to kind of keep this going a little bit is to do socks," she said.
She said socks are also the most requested item at homeless shelters.
A non-profit called Hands of Grace has already dropped off 200 pairs to people living in and around Macon's Central City Park as part of "Sam’s Challenge."
"It keeps the bad months from being so bad for me. October and November are tough, so this gives me something to put my energy in," Nicole said.
When Megan Brent at the Perfect Pear in Perry heard about Sam’s Challenge, she knew she had to get involved, so her restaurant became a sock drop-off point.
"It’s just amazing to me that this family has taken such a tragedy and, you know, their goal is to bring something positive out of their heartbreak," said Brent.
She is not the only one who is eager to help.
Got Party Got Purpose, a Warner Robins non-profit, has made Sam’s Challenge their new purpose.
They helped Nicole plan the drop-off locations which are all over Warner Robins and Perry:
- Re-new in Perry
- Perfect Pear in Perry
- Mossy Creek Naturals in Perry
- Faith Lutheran Church in Warner Robins
- We Care Heating and Air in Warner Robins
- Renovation Chiropractor in Warner Robins
- Active Collection in Warner Robins
- Alfa Insurance in Warner Robins.
The deadline for sock drop-off is November 30th.
Nicole said she can’t wait to see how Sam's Challenge grows.
"I would love for every city in the country to do the sock challenge at some point. That’s my dream. Whatever we do, we’re gonna honor Sam Sam," Nicole said.
While collecting socks is new, their scholarship for band students is not.
Sam’s family does a fundraiser every year in his honor to give a $1,000 scholarship to a student on the Perry High School drum line and $300 to help two high school students join the band.
To be a part of that fundraiser visit alphadecals.com. The deadline for donations is November 22nd.
Nicole says she wants to give others a chance to join the band and fall in love as Sam did.
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