Depending how you look at it, a current fund-raiser at Kingsbury Country Day School in Addison Township is either very ironic or very appropriate.

Since the beginning of October, the school has been selling socks in order to buy prosthetic legs for people in need around the globe

So far, things our going very well.

“We surpassed our goal,” said Andrea Bristol, director of academics for Kingsbury.

Kingsbury is part of LIMBS International’s Socktober campaign. For every 75 sets of colorful socks sold by the school, LIMBS will provide one prosthetic leg to someone in the world who needs it.

Established in 2004, LIMBS International designs “high-quality, low-cost prosthetic limbs for amputees throughout the developing world,” according to the organization’s website.

The World Health Organization estimates the developing world is home to 40 million amputees, but only about 5 percent have access to prosthetic devices because they’re either not available or they can’t afford them.

Because two feet are “often the only means of transportation” in developing nations, according to LIMBS International, “the loss of a leg is just the first step in a cycle of loss that includes the loss of jobs, friends, family, independence, dignity and hope.”

“Amputees are ostracized from their communities and forced onto the streets where they have to beg in order to survive,” states the LIMBS website.

When this reporter interviewed Bristol on Oct. 26, Kingsbury had sold 219 sets of socks.

The original goal was 150.

“I have every reason to believe we’ll get enough for three limbs,” Bristol said.

The next day, the school was up to 225 sets and had secured that third leg.

But Kingbury’s not stopping there. The school extended its fund-raiser to Nov. 19.

“If sell 300, we can buy four limbs,” Bristol said.

Based on how things are going, it appears that could easily happen.

“Our community’s very generous and the kids have been very active in promoting it and celebrating it,” Bristol said.

Each set of socks contains three pairs and sells for $12. To purchase socks, visit Kingsbury’s Socktober webpage at https://www.limbsinternational.org/funding/mycampaign?id=257.

LIMBS International will be providing the school with the names and photographs of the people who receive the legs. “They’ll know who they helped,” Bristol said.

As a tie-in with the Socktober campaign, Kingsbury students participated in their annual Make a Difference Day on Oct. 26. They spent the morning learning what it would be like to live without a leg or an arm or their eyesight.

Bristol said the event was designed to “build empathy” and “respect” for people living with disabilities and teach students that “losing a limb doesn’t mean your life has to completely change.”