Gilmour Academy Junior Named National Philanthropy Award Winner

Javi Swinarski '26, of Hunting Valley has been named a recipient of the 2025 William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). This national award recognizes service by individuals between 10 and 18 years old who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their community through philanthropy by raising financial support, developing charitable programs, volunteering and/or showing leadership in philanthropy. In notifying the school of Swinarski’s selection, AFP’s manager of communications noted that “the committee was extremely impressed with his work and believes he is well deserving of this recognition!”

Swinarski and his family are invited to an awards presentation in Seattle on April 29 during the AFP’s International Conference on Fundraising.

Swinarski was recognized for his tireless dedication to his annual “Socktober Sock Drive” held each October. He launched the initiative as a fourth grader after a field trip, during which he learned that socks are the most requested items in homeless shelters. In his initial year, he collected 500 pairs of socks. For the past eight years, he has continued to organize a sock drive for the homeless, collecting socks across all three divisions at Gilmour as well as from outside organizations and donating them to local homeless shelters. Last year’s drive resulted in 14,362 pairs of socks. This year, he set an ambitious goal of collecting more than 20,000 pairs of socks, which he surpassed, collecting 22,684 pairs of socks. This year, recognizing the great need in the aftermath of the hurricanes, he donated a portion of the socks to hurricane victims in North Carolina, with the remainder going to local organizations - the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and the Father Michael Wittman Ozanam Center.

Earlier this fall, Swinarski was recognized as the 2024 Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Cleveland Youth in Philanthropy Award winner. He was presented with the award by AFP Cleveland at a reception on Thursday, November 7 at Windows on the River.

Asked how he felt about now being selected as a national winner, Javi shared, “it's an honor to be nominated for this award! I couldn't have imagined this Sock Drive would reach so many people. It's incredible to pull the whole Gilmour community together to make a substantial impact on so many lives.”

Head of School Kathy Kenny shared, “Gilmour’s mission is to develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society. I am so proud of the way Javi has taken this mission to heart with his annual Sock Drive and, in so doing, has inspired countless other students to find their passion and give back. He truly embodies our mission and is so deserving of this incredible honor.”