Chalk one up for socks.

Steamboat Springs, Colo.'s SmartWool Corp., a maker of Merino wool-based apparel, socks and accessories, announced the recipients of the SmartWool Advocacy Fund and SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund. The recipients include 32 organizations doing everything from protecting the outdoors to engaging children and funding breast cancer support.

Awarded semi-annually, this round of gifting represented over $72,000 to various non-profits, bringing the total amount of Advocacy Fund contributions given by SmartWool since 2004 to $390,000. “The SmartWool Advocacy Program is one part of the broader employee-driven SmartPrint® corporate social responsibility platform which brings to life Smart Wool’s philosophy to affect positive change in the world within which our employees and customers live, play and do business,” say SmartWool President Mark Bryden. “Through our support and contributions, we see these collaborations and partnerships as key to SmartWool’s continued success as an industry leader and hope to inspire other companies to follow suit.” The advocacy program is comprised of two separate funds and financed by separate revenue sources.

The SmartWool Advocacy Program is funded by a percentage of net sales of SmartWool® products sold on www.smartwool.com. Additionally, a percentage of net sales from SmartWool “Pink Ribbon” socks go to the SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund. Since its inception four years ago, the SmartWool Advocacy Program has donated monetary as well as products in-kind to deserving non-profit organizations, including these 2008 recipients: City Kids Wilderness Project Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte, Inc.Appalachian Mountain Club Family MeansWomen’s Wilderness Institute Rails to TrailsRocky Mountain Youth Corps Colorado RangeRider Youth CopsOutdoor Outreach Higher Ground Youth ChallengeColorado Fouteeners SOS OutreachCity Wild SploreHumble Ranch Net Results Junior TennisTrust for a Mountain Classroom Kids Plus – Cook CountyKIPP: Sunshine Peak Academy Boys and Girls Club of CraigBig City Mountaineers Black Canyon Boys & Girls ClubChequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association Elizabeth Stone HouseRocky Mountain Nature Association Northern California Cancer CenterBreast Cancer Fund The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care CenterCasting for Recovery Clinica TepeyacLiving Beyond Breast Cancer Cancer Survivor Center for Health & Wellbeing Recipients of the SmartWool Advocacy Fund and SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund are selected from approximately 60 applications by the SmartWool Advocacy Board. This board is comprised solely of SmartWool employees elected by their peers as part of the larger SmartPrint® platform.

The SmartWool Corporation is comprised of passionate and healthy-minded employees who prescribe to the belief that a balanced life is a rich life. This belief is the foundation upon which the Leave My SmartPrint™ program was built. The program allows each full-time SmartWool employee to be paid for up to 40 hours of volunteer work at a local non-profit charity of their choice. In 2007, SmartWool employees donated nearly 1,000 volunteer hours to non-profit organizations in their hometown communities. Applications are currently being accepted for the fall grants. To learn more about the SmartWool Advocacy Fund and SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund or to apply for a grant, please visit www. Smartwool.com. Applications for the fall grants must be received by September 1, 2008.