In its first year of participation, the University of North Texas collected 471 pairs of socks and an additional $100 donation for Soldiers’ Angels Warm Feet for Warriors Project, a program that collects new socks for veterans in VA hospitals and deployed soldiers.

Soldiers’ Angels is a global network of volunteers who work to support troops and veterans by providing aid and resources for them and their families. According to Solders’ Angels, socks are among the most requested items by service members and veterans.

For University Advancement Interim Vice President Stan Walker, participating in the sock drive was a way to continue extending UNT’s footprint beyond Denton.

“UNT cares for others on a local, national and global level,” Walker said. “We’re proud of our campus community’s generosity and willingness to engage in important efforts like Warm Feet for Warriors.”

UNT’s collection efforts, which ran from February 1 to March 31, were a partnership between University Advancement, Veteran Services and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Of all the contributors on campus, the Department of Mathematics and Student Veteran Services collected the most pairs of socks during the drive.

This year, Warm Feet for Warriors exceeded its goal of 50,000 pairs of socks by collecting over 76,000 pairs — 11,000 more than the 2021 collection total. With this year’s campaign complete, the 2022 haul will be distributed from Soldiers’ Angels headquarters in San Antonio.

UNT plans to participate in Warm Feet for Warriors in 2023, with a new goal of collecting at least 1,000 pairs of socks.