A local retail business recently held a special drive to spread some love and warmth to local veterans and soldiers.
As part of their Socks for Soldiers and Veterans Campaign, the local Shoe Sensation store held a drive to collect socks to be given to local soldiers serving overseas, members of local military reserve units, and veterans living at nursing homes in the area. On Friday, staff members of Shoe Sensation presented the collected socks to local members of the military and to the American Legion Post #49 Ladies Auxiliary. 
The store staff presented 12 pairs of military approved socks to United States Marine Corps PFC Drew Wetzel, who serves with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, out of the reserve center in Gray. Wetzel will distribute the socks among members of his unit.
Staff also presented 48 pairs of socks to SFC Dennis Erwin, who serves with the U.S. Army National Guard’s 776th Maintenance Company as a Detachment Sergeant for the unit’s Mountain City detachment. Erwin will distribute the socks among members of his unit.
During his time in the National Guard, Erwin has been deployed overseas twice — once during Operate Desert Storm in 1990-1991 and then again during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008-2009.
“You don’t know how it is when you’re over there,” Erwin told staff members at Shoe Sensation after receiving socks for his unit. “Just to get a care package with anything was wonderful.”
The store also presented 21 pairs of socks to the Ladies Auxiliary from American Legion Post #49, who will be shipping the socks overseas to soldiers currently on active deployment.
In addition to the soldiers, the store is working to collect around 80 pairs of socks to distribute to local veterans currently living in nursing homes. Nancy Berry, a manager with the store, said she has contacted local nursing homes to find out how many veterans they have.
The store is still short enough pairs to make sure that each of the nursing home veterans receives one, but Berry said the store is still collecting socks. Customers who shop at Shoe Sensation are given the chance to purchase a pair of military approved socks for soldiers or socks to give to local veterans. In exchange for purchasing a gift for others, the customer will receive a 20 percent discount on their purchase, said Store Manager Sharon Clark.
“As a company, Shoe Sensation, we are always looking for any community involvement opportunity,” Clark said. “We love our veterans. We do offer a veterans discount.”
Shoe Sensation is located at 725 W. Elk Ave. in the Elk Crossing Shopping Center.