Not many of us will remember our first birthday, although you may have that grainy camcorder footage somewhere that only serves to remind you what an awkward baby you were. At least you could shovel in all that cake guilt-free, they were simpler times…

Sometimes a first birthday really calls for something special, especially when the company celebrating it has done so much great work in the community that it calls home.

Our friends over at Sexy Socks are one today, and to celebrate they’ve let us in on what these past 365 days have been like. Here’s what owner Dave Hutchison has to say on their special day:

Today marks exactly one year since Sexy Socks warmed its first pair of feet. Four Sock Drops, thousands of smiles and tens of thousands of warm toes later, here we are.  Given that it is our first birthday, we’d like to share with you some of the highlights from the year gone by.

NUMBER 1 THING WE’VE LEARNT:

There is nothing quite as special as the grateful smile on a young child’s face.

NUMBER 1 BESTSELLING DESIGN:

Ahoy matey, the Sexy Sailor takes the cake!

NUMBER 1 PERSON WHO HAS INSPIRED US THE MOST:

At our first ever sock drop, at Sarah Fox Children’s Convalescent Home, there was a little boy who captured the heart of the Sexy Socks team. He had no feet but he was determined not to let that hold him back. He pulled the socks on his stumps, gave us a quick smile, jumped up and carried on playing. I think we can all learn something from that.

NUMBER 1 MILESTONE THAT WE’LL NEVER FORGET:

Giving away 1 500 socks in a single Sock Drop [seriously though, check out THIS awesome video]. This remains one of the most moving days of my life. Standing on the balcony, speaking to a sea of 1 500 excited faced and educating them on what can be achieved through social entrepreneurship. It was the first time that the magnitude of what we are doing really hit home, and the position it puts us in to educate and encourage young people to start their own businesses.

NUMBER 1 THING THAT WE HOPE FOR NEXT YEAR:

This year, we warmed the toes of 2 000 children in South Africa and we are nearing the point where we are ready to carry out our next Sock Drop. Next year, our mission is give away at least 8 000 pairs of socks.

From all of us here at 2OV we wish Sexy Socks a happy first birthday. Here’s to many more celebrations and long may the good work of warming children’s feet continue.