Mass 'uniform violation' raises $26,000 for Ronald McDonald House

Dozens of Philadelphia police officers took to Twitter on Wednesday to show off a colorful addition to their uniforms - a pair of bright red-and-white-striped socks.

The Twitter photos, or "sockies," as they were termed online, were part of a fund-raising campaign for the Ronald McDonald House, whose eponymous mascot is known for his striped socks.

The charity, which provides housing for families with children in hospitals, celebrated the 40th anniversary of the opening of its first house in Philadelphia on Wednesday and hoped to raise $40,000 for the occasion.

The socks sold for $10 a pair. Philadelphia police officers bought about 2,600 pairs. Local businesses, health-care providers, and television stations also participated.

"We've been getting photos all day," said Jennifer Shipman, director of marketing and communications a the Philadelphia house, adding that the charity was on track to reach its fund-raising goal.

The Police Department's embrace of the fund-raiser was spearheaded by an officer in the Patrol Operations Unit whose daughter suffers from cerebral palsy and other ailments.

While trying to set up an event with the charity this year, a Ronald McDonald House representative handed Officer Roslyn Talley a pair of red-and-white striped socks and explained the "sockie" campaign.

She was asked whether she could get Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey to don a pair for the fund-raiser.

"I said, 'You know what? You have to give me more,' " Talley said Wednesday, laughing.

Talley stayed at the charity's Wilmington house for four days while her daughter Khmaia, who has cerebral palsy, autism, and epilepsy, underwent surgery as a toddler.

"Nobody with a family - nobody with a heart - can avoid [a fund-raiser for] the Ronald McDonald House," she said. "What they offer is absolutely amazing."

Talley took 600 pairs of socks from the organization and asked Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel to let a mass uniform violation slide for a day.

The first 600 socks sold out within hours, she said.

Officers purchased hundreds of pairs to sell at their district headquarters. SWAT teams, Major Crimes detectives and bicycle patrol officers chipped in. The K-9 unit outfitted its German shepherds with several pairs.

The District Attorney's Office also got into the act, with staffers - including District Attorney Seth Williams - buying and wearing the socks and posting them on the department's Twitter account.

And Ramsey - in keeping with the charity's original request - posted a smiling photo in his striped socks on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

"I was just so happy to see so many police officers participate and have fun with it," Talley said. "I pitched the idea, yes, but it was all the other officers that took it to the next level."

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@aubreyjwhelan