The Kiwanis Club of Lititz Area will hold its 21st annual Lititz Chocolate Walk on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is hosted each year by the Kiwanis Club and Wilbur Chocolate on the Saturday before Columbus Day. All the chefs and chocolatiers donate their time and treats, and merchants provide locations for the chocolatiers to distribute food.

The number of tickets is limited to 2,000, with all money raised going to support children's charities, such as Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development, Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic, and the Lititz and Manheim Township public libraries. The event has sold out in recent years, so early ticket purchase is recommended.

To purchase tickets, visit http://www.lititzchocolatewalk.com or stop by Wilbur Chocolate, 45 N. Broad St.; Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development, 625 Community Way, Lancaster; Aaron's Books, 35 E. Main St.; Lititz Apothecary, 100 E. Main St.; Zum Anker Alley Shoppes, 22 E. Main St. (rear); Lititz Public Library, 651 Kissel Hill Road, Lititz; or Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster.

Participants should note that many Chocolate Walk locations are not handicapped-accessible. Organizers recommended that people with disabilities bring a friend to help them obtain their samples.

The Chocolate Walk provides tourist dollars to the local economy. People have participated from as far away as California and from more than 20 other states. Sponsors include Blue Ridge Communications, Luther Acres, and Spacht-Snyder Funeral Home.

Over the course of the event's existence, the Kiwanis Club - which has fewer than 20 active members - has raised over $1 million for local children's charities. As part of Kiwanis International, a worldwide service organization, the Lititz club is devoted to helping the children of the world one child, one community at a time.

At least 150 volunteers are needed for Chocolate Walk. Interested individuals may email LStickler49@hotmail.com. Two shifts are available, and each volunteer will receive a pass to enjoy five free samples of his or her choice.

For more information on the Chocolate Walk, including sponsorship, volunteer opportunities, and membership in the Kiwanis Club, call the Chocolate Walk hotline at 717-560-2295 or visit the aforementioned website.