By Kelley McClurkin
Something very sweet is coming to downtown Findlay, and it goes beyond just chocolate —although that is quite literally the name of the game.
As you may have heard, United Way of Hancock County is hosting our Downtown Chocolate Tour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10. This sweet spring fundraiser takes participants to over two dozen shops and restaurants to collect chocolatey treats at each stop. Many businesses offer special sales and promotions on this day, and some even host establishments located outside the downtown area to allow their participation.
If you have a sweet tooth, this event is a dream come true. But the sweetness doesn’t begin and end with chocolate alone.
We’ve designed this tour as a fundraiser for our Vulnerable Children Initiative, which is why it takes place on Mother’s Day weekend. (Participation is certainly not limited to moms and their children, although it does make a great gift for mothers who happen to love chocolate!)
Of our 15 local funded partner agencies, over half directly serve children and families through programs focused on feeding kids, providing mentorship and development, advocacy, health and safety, and victim services. These programs are vital to protecting our youth, and each ticket sold directly benefits these efforts.
On the day of the tour, it is sweet to see so many people exploring and enjoying downtown Findlay. This event draws friend groups and families of all ages, and we hear year after year how much even lifelong Findlay residents enjoy the opportunity to visit some old favorites while discovering what’s new downtown.
In total, we have 31 small businesses that have sweetly signed up to provide chocolate and other treats to our ticketholders. We can’t thank this group enough, as we know that small business owners face a unique set of challenges. If you’ve bought a ticket to this event, please consider supporting these businesses as you pop in for your treats!
Tickets to the Downtown Chocolate Tour are still available and can be purchased through our website. Every dollar of your ticket price will stay in our community and support at-risk youth. What could be sweeter than that?
McClurkin is CEO of United Way of Hancock County.
(This guest column appeared in the Findlay Courier on May 9, 2025.)