Valentine’s Day and chocolate go hand-in-hand. To celebrate the holiday a few days early, hundreds of people attended the 2nd Annual Chocolate Walk in Downtown Naperville. All proceeds benefited 360 Youth Services.
“I wanted to participate in the chocolate walk because I have a big heart,” said Tammie Delaonardis, a volunteer for the Chocolate Walk and 360 Youth Services. “I like Valentine’s Day, I celebrate it every year, and this is a great cause and I wanted to be a big part of it.”
Attendees received a bag and tin to collect different chocolate treats along their downtown walk.
22 stores participated not only handing out chocolate but also welcoming new people to their businesses.
“So that’s what we hear a lot from the stores, is like ‘wow it really brought me new customers and new faces in my door and my sales were really great that day as well.’ So it’s a real win-win, people get a treat, they see some new businesses and it helps a local charity,” said Katie Wood, the executive director of Downtown Naperville Alliance.
And new to this year’s walk was a raffle for participants, which will also support 360 Youth Services.
“We are just so thrilled with the amount of community support we have around the Chocolate Walk,” said Katy Laclair, the Chief Executive Officer of 360 Youth Services. “It’s our 2nd annual event, and we are just so appreciative of all the downtown merchants and all the community members that are coming out to support 360 today.”
Information on future downtown events like the Chocolate Walk can be found on Downtown Naperville’s website.
Naperville News 17’s Christine Lena reports.
