Naperville Rotary’s Holiday Parade of Lights awards over $70,000 to nonprofit organizations
On Feb. 8, the Rotary Club of Naperville recently awarded $70,000 to local nonprofit organizations as a result of the 2023 Holiday Parade of Lights.
The club assumed organization responsibility for the parade in 2021 as the club’s signature fundraiser and has raised money each year to benefit local nonprofits.
Dubbed “a parade with a purpose,” the funds raised from the Holiday Parade of Lights are awarded to area nonprofits who support youth mental health, humanitarian needs, and diversity/inclusion.
This year’s major recipients are 360 Youth Services, Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs (ALMAS), Childhood Leukemia Warrior Foundation, Chinese American Women in Action (CAWA), Edward Foundation, GiGi’s Playhouse Fox Valley, Grow Wellness Foundation, Inside Out Club DuPage, Indian Prairie Educational Foundation, Mays Music Centre of Excellence, Naperville Education Foundation, Naperville Police Foundation, and Western DuPage Special Recreation Association.
“We view this parade as event for children. Therefore, we chose our theme for this year to be organizations that make a difference in our community by providing support for youth mental health, humanitarian needs, and diversity/inclusion,” said Rich Tatara, club president.
The club also would like to thank sponsors and donors who helped make the parade possible, as well as the help provided by the City of Naperville, the Special Events & Community Arts (SECA) Grant Fund Program, Naperville Police Department, Naperville Park District and NCTV 17.
To learn more. visit napervillerotaryparade.org.
The Rotary Club of Naperville was founded on March 31, 1941 with 15 members. Today, the Rotary Club of Naperville has over 100 members who are dedicated to “service above self” and provides a wide variety of service projects in the community and globally. The club meets at 12:15 p.m. most Thursdays in person or on Zoom. Guests are welcome to join.
The Rotary Club of Naperville is a member of Rotary International, one of the first humanitarian organizations, and is a part of over 35,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 counties and geographical areas with 1.2 million members worldwide. The purpose of our fellowship is to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to help build goodwill and peace in the world. The Rotary Club of Naperville includes members who are leaders in the fields of business, education, religion, nonprofit organizations, government, and many other vocations. Visit www.rotaryclubofnaperville.org for more information.