John sketched his design of a sock: purple with hearts and "3-21," the date of World Down Syndrome Day (this date symbolizes the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which causes Down syndrome). "My idea is, I want to make one," John says. Mark recalls they were looking for socks specifically celebrating Down syndrome that they could sell, but they couldn't find any. Traditionally people celebrate by donning crazy socks in fun patterns and colors. The pair took note of an important date coming up - World Down Syndrome Day, which is every March 21. The brainstorming continued, and then inspiration struck. Inspired by the 2014 movie "Chef," they toyed with the idea of a father-son, food truck business. With their creative juices flowing, the father-son duo looked at what they could do. "I wanted to go in business with my father," John responds. So what did you tell me you wanted to do?" "John didn't like the options he saw, and in fact the options for people with differing abilities are somewhat limited. "You were asking what are you going to do when you're done with school, and we were looking around at options," Mark adds, addressing John. "All job training programs and workshop programs had waiting lists and not many employers offer jobs for people like John." "There are not many options open to people with disabilities," Mark Cronin, John's father, tells CNBC Make It. (In addition to cognitive delays, some individuals with Down syndrome experience behavioral problems or are prone to health problems ranging from heart issues to trouble with eyesight.) With Down syndrome, the career paths available to him didn't exactly pique his interest many were gigs at retail chains and the ones that weren't had long waiting lists. But unlike his classmates, Cronin's options were somewhat limited. Like many of his peers, Cronin was deciding what he wanted to do after graduation. It was in fall of 2016, Cronin's last year of high school, that the idea for John's Crazy Socks started to take shape.
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