Fourth-grader collects socks in memory of twin

It's always been a tradition for the Winder family to donate baby socks to local hospitals on the anniversary of Faith Winder's July 18 birthday.

Born with congenital birth defects, baby Faith died just weeks short of her first birthday in 2001. During her many hospital stays, the baby became known for her uniquely decorated socks.

The family tradition, however, is now growing to include all schools in the Carson City School District, thanks to Faith's 8-year-old twin sister, Bethanney.

Bethanney, a fourth-grader at Mark Twain Elementary School, organized a sock drive at her school last year. Her brother, A.J., organized a similar drive at Carson High School as a senior.

The Tiny Toes Sock Drive did so well that Bethanney decided to expand it to the entire district this year, making it a contest between the different schools.

Bethanney spoke at the principals meeting and brought fliers and bags to every school. The leadership class at Carson High School joined in to collect and count the socks.

The winner was Mark Twain Elementary School, which collected 278 pairs. The grand total from all the schools was 1,155.

"It's actually really fun just to see how many people participate," Bethanney said.

The socks will be distributed between Carson Tahoe, Renown, Saint Mary's and Oakland children's hospitals.

Bethanney said she hopes the socks make a difference for the children and their families.

"I hope that they feel better," she said.

Bethanney's mother, Christine, is proud of her daughter's work.

"The fact that she would want to do this is just amazing for someone so young," Christine said. "I'm proud of her compassion she has for other children."