Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day!
About Rock Your Socks:
Every year on March 21, people all around the world come together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day by wearing brightly colored, mismatched socks. March 21 is symbolic because people with Down syndrome have 3 copies of their 21st chromosome. Socks were chosen because the karyotype of Down syndrome chromosomes actually looks like mismatched socks!
Together we will create a single global voice advocating for the rights, inclusion, and well-being of people with Down syndrome in our schools, community, and around the world. 3/21, World Down Syndrome Day, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which is Down syndrome. The Down Syndrome Association of Delaware started the Rock Your Socks program in 2014 and now distributes over 100,000 pairs of socks every year!
How to Order Rock Your Socks:
The Down Syndrome Association of Delaware’s 2025 Rock Your Socks Order Form is OPEN! There are two ways to order socks:
- How do Bulk Pre-Orders work? Bulk Pre-Orders require you to commit to selling at least 100 pairs of socks, but you are not required to pre-pay. Instead, you turn in the funds after you sell the socks. If you run out of socks, you can always request more pairs. These orders can be placed through our Bulk Pre-Order Form.
- Who should place a Bulk Pre-Order? Teachers/school employees, business owners, doctors offices, nurses, first responders, daycare providers, sports teams, student groups, and more!
- When are Bulk Pre-Orders due? Kent and Sussex Counties: Monday, February 10; New Castle County: Monday, February 17
- When can I pick up Bulk Pre-Orders?
- Sussex County – Saturday, February 15 from 11am-12pm
- Kent County – Saturday, February 15 from 4-5pm
- New Castle County – Saturday, February 22 from 12:30-2pm
- Can I order more socks if I sell out of my initial order? Yes! If you sell out of socks from your initial order, you can reorder socks for pickup in early March. More information will be emailed to you after you place your initial order.
- How do Individual Orders work? Individual Orders work best if you’re looking to order less than 100 pairs of socks. These orders can be placed directly through our online ordering system. Please note prepayment is required for individual orders. We can ship your order, or you can pick up from our offices in Newark or Milton.
- Who should place an Individual Order? Anyone looking to purchase socks for yourself, friends, family, coworkers etc – without selling them/returning funds collected .
- When are individual orders due? We recommend ordering socks by Monday, March 10 to guarantee delivery by World Down Syndrome Day on Friday, March 21. Delivery by WDSD is not guaranteed for orders placed after Monday, March 10.
If you have any questions about ordering Rock Your Socks, please contact Jess at jess@dsadelaware.org.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What size are the socks? We have two sizes available- youth and adult. Adult socks fit most teens/adults as well as older children and youth socks we recommend for any children around age 5. Youth socks are not for toddlers or babies.
- What if we are unsure about how many socks to order? Keep in mind you can always ask us for more socks if you sell out. You may return any unsold socks back to us as long as they do not exceed 10% of your order. For example, if you order 100 socks, you can return 10 but would owe payment for 90 pairs. Please be cognizant of this when ordering.
- Why are there different price points? We remain committed to keeping the $2/pair price for our schools and local non-profits. Many local businesses wanted us to make the minimum donation $5/pair as they are selling to the public and had no problem with people supporting at the higher price point.
- Why socks for Down syndrome? Socks sort of resemble a chromosome and people with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome.
- Is this a fundraiser for the DSA of DE? The purpose of Rock Your Socks is to raise awareness for Down syndrome. This program happens to be a fundraiser for our organization and helps fund programs and outreach which supports our mission.
- Is Delaware the only state that has a Rock Your Socks program? There are several other Down syndrome organizations who run the Rock Your Socks program now. However, Delaware started the program in 2014! The first state! The first year we sold 2,000 pairs of socks- it has really grown!
Rock Your Socks T-Shirts:
We also have Rock Your Socks apparel available for purchase! We have various styles and colors available in both youth and adult sizes. Orders will ship directly to you!
