Eight graders from Whitman Middle School collected over 500 pairs of socks for distribution at United Way's Community Resource Exchange (CRE) last month.

CRE is an event at CenturyLink Field that helps connect people experiencing homelessness with resources and services.

This was the first CRE held in the midst of winter and cold weather supplies like sleeping bags, jackets, and warm socks were in high demand.

Thanks in part to a group of eight graders from Whitman Middle School, 1500 homeless people left the CRE with a warm pair of socks.

United Way expressed thanks to the eight graders on its blog and Whitman teacher Blythe Asmann, who led the Whitman Sock Drive, hopes to hold the sock drive again, and include the whole school that time.