On Thursday, June 4, 2026, Lou Malnati’s again will host School’s Out at the restaurant located at 131 W. Jefferson Avenue in downtown Naperville. The longstanding KidsMatter fundraiser showcases student talent while building on history of bringing community together. (PN File Photo)
KidsMatter Report
For nearly 20 years, there’s been one great way to celebrate the beginning of the summer and the talents of Naperville-area youth — all at once. This year is no exception. KidsMatter invites the community to stop by our School’s Out event at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria on June 4 to welcome in summer and support our mission.
Hosting School’s Out as a GroupRaise fundraiser, Lou Malnati’s will contribute 20% of all sales to KidsMatter between 11AM and 10PM from the downtown Naperville location at 131 W. Jefferson Ave. The donation will be applied to all orders from the restaurant during the event, including those for dine-in, take-out and delivery.
During KidsMatter’s 25th anniversary year, the special School’s Out event again will feature entertaining performances by student musicians between 5PM and 8PM.
The popular gathering started simply, when former Lou Malnati’s general manager Dawn Dau was brainstorming in 2008 with then-KidsMatter Executive Director IdaLynn Wenhold. Under the leadership of Naperville’s mayor at the time, the late A. George Pradel, Dau became passionate about embedding the restaurant into the community — and about building resilient youth through KidsMatter programming. Lou Malnati’s became a frequent host site for fundraisers and wanted to make the School’s Out event a true showcase.
“It started with saying, ‘How can we celebrate young adults getting out of school, having new adventures, taking on part-time jobs, exploring their interests,’” Dau said. She and Wenhold decided to feature show choir members and other student performers on the patio in front of the restaurant. “The performers had their friends and parents come out, and even people walking by on the busy streets of downtown Naperville got to hear. It took off like gangbusters.”
Now, the School’s Out event is just one way KidsMatter builds community connections to empower youth to say “no” to destructive decisions and “yes” to endless possibilities. The EMPOWER Gala, coming up in October to culminate celebrations of KidsMatter’s 25th anniversary, is another major contributor to our programs to help youth realize their purpose, build resilience and pursue meaningful pathways to college and career success.
Wenhold said the School’s Out event — and the support Lou Malnati’s has provided to KidsMatter over the years — is one way Naperville sets itself apart as a community that truly supports youth.
“It’s not about one person. It’s about everybody linking arms and coming together to enhance the lives of our kids in ways that will enable them to become successful, healthy adults who want to give back to their community,” Wenhold said. “That’s what makes Naperville the incredible community it is. We are a place that simply values young people.”
To order from Lou Malnati’s during School’s Out, call (630) 717-0700 or visit loumalnatis.com and select the downtown Naperville location.
For details about the School’s Out event, visit kidsmatter2us.org/events/schools-out-day/.
PN Editor’s Note / This fundraiser for KidsMatter also provides a perfect time to plan a pizza picnic in Central Park when the Naperville Municipal Band kicks off its summer concert season with “Welcome Back” at 7:30PM Thurs., June 4. Perhaps order Lou Malnati’s to-go and benefit the KidsMatter fundraiser. Note also the 11-week Thursday evening concert series on stage at the Community Concert Center, 55 Concert Lane, just south of Benton Avenue, runs through Aug. 13. Order Lou Malnati’s to-go any Thursday! Cheers!
