Saturdays are usually a day off for John Cronin, cofounder of John’s Crazy Socks, unless he’s off on a speaking engagement or a public appearance. That doesn’t mean he’s laying around all day, it just means a different set of activities.
Most Saturdays in the spring and fall start with John playing soccer. John started playing Special Olympic soccer at age five and twenty-two years later he's still competing.
After that might be a trip for breakfast – John’s a big fan of bagels. This weekend, John made a side trip to visit the new interactive walk at the Dove-Torr Cottage. Modernist painters Arthur Dove and Helen Torr lived in a cottage on the water of Centerport Harbor. For years, John would wave at the cottage every time he passed, calling out as if Arthur Dove was still working inside. Now, the Hecksher Art Museum has set up an audio tour of the outside of the cottage which enthralled John. A big an of art and history, John especially loves learning about local history.
With Thanksgiving approaching, this past Saturday gave John time to help his parents prepare for the holiday. That meant trips to the grocery store, butcher and more. John has a way of turning even the most mundane tasks into a bit of adventure.
Shopping also meant time to try some new adventures. The Cronins took a trip to All American Wontons, started by some local entrepreneurs, to grab some tasty snacks. The company began by selling at festivals and fairs and now has their very own store. They mix American favorites with the Chinese shells to produce unique creations like Philly Cheesesteak wontons and Bacon Mac and Cheese wontons.
Since he travelled all the way to Massapequa to pick up wontons, John took the time to visit All American Burger for their world-famous cheeseburger. You know someone is a true Long Islander fi they’ve eaten at All American Burger.
Back home, John spent time with his Dad watching a delayed broadcast of Holy Cross, the college where his parents met, play football against Georgetown. He also helped prepare some of the food for the Thanksgiving feast. Among the delectables, John and his Mom are making ice cream sandwiches, so they made the huge chocolate chip cookies on Saturday and will add the ice cream later this week.
John wound down Saturday evening by watching one of his favorite shows – Friends – and texting and Facetiming with his friends including some of the new friends he made at the Adult Summit sponsored by the National Down Syndrome Society.
Just another day of fun, curiosity and adventures for John, the Sock Tycoon.
About John’s Crazy SocksJohn’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $650,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, they are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
