With support of dozens of volunteers, the Naperville YMCA and Naperville Park District again will co-host the Community Christmas Luncheon for seniors and families in need to celebrate the holidays at this in-person event.
Naperville senior citizens and families in need are invited to the Community Christmas Luncheon set to begin at 11:30AM on Tues., Dec. 24, at the Chicago Marriott Naperville. This complimentary event, co-hosted by the Naperville YMCA and the Naperville Park District, returns to an in-person format for the first time since 2019.
Initially organized by the YMCA in the 1980s, the early luncheons served 40-50 people at the Holiday Inn Select, the hotel where the Marriott is now. More than a few times, then-Mayor George Pradel arrived as Santa.
Longtime volunteers recall the story that the dinner was founded on the idea that no senior should be alone during the holidays. …It began with an anonymous donor who underwrote the cost of the meal. As the story goes, the generous donor had picked up his mother from a local senior residence one year and saw many people alone for the holidays. Soon after, he approached the YMCA about sponsoring a gathering just for seniors at the Holiday Inn.
In 2010, when the Holiday Inn closed for construction to begin for the Marriott, the Naperville Park District offered its Community Hall at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center. When private funding no longer was available, the YMCA partnered with the park district and began finding support from generous individuals as table sponsors to meet the growing needs of the senior community.
When the Chicago Marriott opened in 2012, the holiday tradition continued at the new hotel, and by 2017, more than 150 individuals reportedly attended the festivities.
In 2020, due to the pandemic, volunteers delivered meals to households to avoid large gatherings. After four years of meals being delivered to homes, attendees once again will be welcomed to enjoy the company of others along with a festive meal and various holiday-themed activities.
This holiday tradition is made possible entirely through the generosity of donations from community members. Individuals interested in donating to support the luncheon can complete a donation on the Naperville Park District website at www.napervilleparks.org.
The Chicago Marriott Naperville is located at 1801 N. Naper Blvd.
Reserve seating by Mon., Dec. 9, 2024
Seniors and families interested in attending the luncheon must make reservations by Mon., Dec. 9. Simply contact Myles Cochran via email at mcochran@ymcachicago.org or phone at (630) 904-9595 by providing your name, phone number, guests’ names and total number of attendees.
