Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900) plans to donate unused socks and underwear to local nonprofits on Dec. 3, as part of GivingTuesday.

GivingTuesday was started in 2012 as a response to the various shopping holidays that have developed in the wake of Thanksgiving: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. The idea is to celebrate generosity by encouraging individuals, communities and organizations to give back on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and beyond. According to NPsource, GivingTuesday last year raised $380 million online, an increase of 38% from the prior year.

“We believed that technology and social media could be used to make generosity go viral,” said Asha Curran, CEO and co-founder of GivingTuesday. “People and organizations around the world proved us right.”

Jo-an Lantz, CEO and president of Geiger

Geiger is encouraging its associates to donate unused socks and underwear through its first annual Toes & Tushies clothing drive. Members who don’t work in the company’s headquarters in Lewiston, ME, are being urged to donate to their own local nonprofits.

“This cause is immensely important,” said Jo-an Lantz, president and CEO of Geiger. “The need for basics, socks and undergarments is great – particularly because these are items so many of us take for granted. The drive will have a profound impact for us all through the simple gesture of giving and participating in GivingTuesday. I hope you’ll join me in participating.”

With reported 2018 North American promotional product revenue of $210.6 million, Geiger ranked 10th on Counselor’s latest list of the largest distributors in the industry.