Co-founders of John’s Crazy Socks, John Cronin and his father, Mark Cronin, helped kick off Pleasant Valley School District’s crazy sock fundraiser Tuesday and talked about their company’s mission of spreading happiness. Staff and faculty were on hand and were given first dibs on purchasing socks covered with “PVs” and bear paws.

The socks were designed by art students at Pleasant Valley High School last year, and created by John’s Crazy Socks. They are on sale for $10 each and can be purchased at the high school.

The mission of John’s Crazy Socks is truly simple — spreading happiness. It’s the backbone of their company and in all they do from their selection of socks to sale to packaging to employee satisfaction.

The company launched on Dec. 9, 2016, and has made $5.5 million, of which $300,000 has been given to Special Olympics. For every $10 in sales, 5% is given to Special Olympics.

The founder of John’s Crazy Socks, John Cronin, has Down syndrome. He is the only entrepreneur in the country with Down syndrome to receive the Ernst and Young’s 2019 New York Region Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

“Follow your dream,” John told Pleasant Valley’s staff and faculty.

“John is a natural entrepreneur, because he’s fearless,” said Mark Cronin, who co-founded the business with him. “I’m learning all the time from him. He’s the hardest working man in Sockdom.”

The jump into entrepreneurship came about because Mark was laid off from his job, and John had graduated from high school at the age of 21 with few job prospects.

“If you’re a person with differing abilities, there are not many choices,” Mark said.

That’s when John suggested that they open a fun store or a food truck.

“We ran into a problem (with the food truck idea),” Mark said.

“We can’t cook,” John added, like one half of a comedic duo.

The room filled with laughter.

Mark said their business has had successes and setbacks, like when their website crashed on their opening day or when they realized that adding chocolate kisses to the packages with a thank you card isn’t always a good idea.

“We loved Hershey kisses, until we got an email from a woman in Florida,” Mark said.

Now, they send Skittles.

Mark said their business is a social enterprise. Their mission is an integral part of the company.

“It’s got to be about more than making money,” he said. “Money, in the end, only becomes a negative. You have to believe in your mission.”

“Socks make me happy,” John said. And he shares that enthusiasm in the multitude of videos his dad has posted on Facebook and the Internet showing off the socks.

In just two and half years, the videos have been viewed 6 million times in the United States and 70 million times worldwide, Mark said. The company has more than 20,000 positive online reviews, and an inventory of 2,300 varieties of socks — the largest variety of socks for one vendor in the world.

“They want to buy socks from me,” John said. “They relate to me.”

“They found John to be inspirational,” Mark said.

“I am,” he replied with a smile.

In addition to the Special Olympics, John’s Crazy Socks also donates to the National Down Syndrome Society, Autism Speaks, the Williams Syndrome Association, gift boxes and auction donations and sponsor the Autism Can Do Scholarship. The duo also does two or three speaking engagements per month.

“You like doing this, don’t you,” Mark asked John.

“I do,” he said, adding that he is a bit of a ham.

Of the company’s 24 employees, 16 have differing abilities, but everyone earns their jobs, Mark said. Each potential employee is tested to see if he or she can do the job, because then they achieve it.

“It shows that people with differing abilities are an asset,” he said. “We focus on what people can do, not on what they can’t do.”

“I love working with my dad. He’s funny,” John said. “I make my dad a proud dad. He had three awesome boys — Patrick, Jamie and me, and we make him proud. He has a beautiful life.”