Berks-Mont Business Association and Building a Better Boyertown have presented the Boyertown Area Multi-Service with a $3,015 donation to support Preston's Pantry. The funds were raised during the inaugural Cocoa, Coffee & Cookie Crawl held on Small Business Saturday®, November 29.

            Both organizations served as American Express Neighborhood Champion™ partners for Small Business Saturday®, helping to promote local shopping and community engagement. As part of their participation, they distributed American Express® tote bags to the first 150 attendees.

            This was the first year the two organizations partnered for Small Business Saturday®, and the event drew an enthusiastic response from the community. "It was wonderful to see so many people walking around town, supporting our small businesses, and contributing to a great cause," said Ellen Martignetti, Building a Better Boyertown's Main Street Manager. "With so many in our community struggling to make ends meet, we were grateful for everyone's generosity."

            Vicki Kriczky, President of the Berks-Mont Business Association, also praised the community's involvement. "We are so incredibly proud of our businesses and our community for coming together for such a worthy cause," she said.

            Approximately 300 participants took part in the crawl, which featured 25 local businesses and 18 tasting stops throughout downtown Boyertown. Each stop offered a sample of cocoa, coffee, or cookies, and several businesses collaborated to share space and welcome visitors.

            Tri-County Federal Credit Union sponsored a free scavenger hunt for children under 12, who searched for hidden piggy banks and answered clues along the route. Every child who completed the hunt received a piggy bank to take home.

            The donation check was presented to Boyertown Area Multi-Service Executive Director Bob Varga, Director of Development and Marketing Frank Buttaro, Jr., Diana Harner, Case Manager Director, along with event committee members, on Wednesday, December 3.

            Additional event support came from Everything Printing in Gilbertsville, which sponsored and printed event maps, and from Ridgewood Winery, LLC and Horological Services of Boyertown, both of which served as cup sponsors.