What is the Tootsie Roll Drive?

The Tootsie Roll Drive started back in the 1970s in Chicagoland by three Knights who saw a need to support organizations that help individuals with intellectual disabilities. Their idea was simple: put on a yellow vest, stand at busy intersections, and storefronts offering Tootsie Rolls in exchange for small donations. The idea worked and the Knights collected $30,000 in a two day span. Other councils around the nation quickly caught on and for more than 50 years the Knights have been collecting. Annually the Knights raise 2 million dollars in Illinois alone via the drive. 

How Your Donation Impacts Your Local Neighbor

Your donation regardless of size goes a long way to help those in need in Batavia and Geneva. All the funds collected support local non-profit organizations in the Fox Valley area that provide different types of support to individuals with intellectual disabilities. These organizations provide individuals with job opportunities, housing, medical needs, education, training, social opportunities, and special olympics funding. Below is a list of recipients organizations we support and where your donation will go.

Valley Sheltered Workshop, Batavia

Marklund, Geneva

Association for Individual Development (AID), Aurora

Special Camps for Special Needs, Winfield

Fox Valley Special Recreation Assoc. (FVSRA), Aurora.

Giant Steps , Sugar Grove

Special Olympics Region C , DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and West Suburban Cook Counties

How To Donate

The 2024 Drive will be the weekend of September 6th, 7th, & 8th. Donate in person that weekend to get your Tootsie Roll. Donations are welcome anytime via this website using Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, or Discover credit cards.