Students from Desert Sunrise and Maricopa High Schools joined forces for their first-ever joint “Rock Your Socks” fundraiser, raising awareness and funds to support people with down syndrome.

The campaign, led by Desert Sunrise teacher Kate Dove and Maricopa High School teacher Justin Lo, centered around the sale of brightly colored, mismatched socks through the Arizona Down Syndrome Network. The fundraiser aligned with World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, a date chosen to represent the triplication of the 21st chromosome in people with down syndrome. The mismatched socks symbolize the unique genetic makeup of people with the condition, as chromosome karyotypes resemble the shape of socks.

Though spring break kept students from celebrating on the official date, the schools held their event March 28. The socks quickly sold out. Students sold hundreds of $3 sock pairs across both campuses, raising more than $700 at Desert Sunrise alone. All proceeds benefited the national Rock Your Socks initiative, which began with the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware and now supports programs nationwide.

“It was really cool to do,” said Dove, who taught special education in Philadelphia before relocating to Arizona. “No other schools in Maricopa had done this before.”

For Dove, the cause is personal. “We had a teacher back home whose daughter has Down syndrome, and it started there. We grew it into a district-wide effort.”

The event also served as a powerful teaching moment for students.

“They learned that it’s okay to be different,” said Dove. “The whole point of the socks is that they don’t match, just like how people with Down syndrome stand out in their own amazing way.”

Many students shared their own connections to the cause. “One of my students said, ‘My adult cousin has down syndrome, so I want to help out,’” Dove recalled.

The socks campaign supports advocacy, education and resources for families of people with down syndrome. It also helps connect communities with vital services.

Dove and Lo hope this year’s success will inspire broader participation. “The next step is to take this to the district level and bring it to the elementary schools,” said Dove. “It’s a great thing to do and the students are all about it.”