Athens-Clarke County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (ACC-SANE) is holding its First Annual Very Merry Cookie Crawl on Dec. 14 in Downtown Watkinsville. The family-fun event will coincide with the Christmas on Main Street Watkinsville Parade and Tree Lighting.

For a $20 donation to ACC-SANE, crawlers will receive a cookie container and map that includes participating businesses. The businesses will fill the containers with cookies for free from noon to 6 p.m. on the day of the event. The annual parade down Main Street begins at 3 p.m. followed by the tree lighting at 6 p.m. on the steps of the Oconee County Courthouse.

Danielle Benson, ACC-SANE Board Member and Chair of the Very Merry Cookie Crawl is a sucker for Hallmark Christmas movies and got the idea for a cookie crawl during a Hallmark movie binge last year.

“One movie called ‘Christmas Joy’ really inspired me,” Benson said. “It follows a similar story line to most Hallmark Christmas movies, but this one had a Christmas cookie crawl. I just knew I had to bring that event, and hopefully a new family tradition, to the Athens and Watkinsville area.”

There’s a limited supply of cookie containers. Crawlers may purchase their cookie containers at the ACC-SANE tent in the Chops & Hops parking lot, located at 2 South Main St. #112 in Watkinsville, on the day of the event beginning at noon. Containers can be purchased early by clicking here, or texting COOKIE19 to 91999. Containers purchased early should be picked up at the ACC-SANE tent on the day of the event.

Watkinsville businesses interested in participating can learn more here, register their business to be a stop along the crawl here, or text CRAWL19 to 41444. Businesses that have already signed up to participate include:

Brian Jarrett - State Farm Insurance

Doughby's Pizza and More

Mutty Paws

Girasoles

Law Office of Anne D. Carter, LLC

Macy Gray Boutique

Piedmont Athens Regional’s Oconee Health Campus

Empire South Clothing

Oconee County Sheriff's Office

KiKi’s Bakeshop

Rizos Hair Studio

Chops & Hops

Dory's Hearth, Home & Patio

ACC-SANE anticipates adding more locations to the crawl as the event gets closer.

All proceeds from the event benefit ACC-SANE, the sole provider of forensic medical exams for adult and children who have experienced sexual or physical violence in Oconee, Clarke, Greene, Morgan, Banks, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oglethorpe and Walton Counties. SANE medical providers and advocates are specifically trained to meet the immediate medical needs of survivors and aid the criminal justice system by collecting valuable evidence. All services are provided at no cost to patients. ACC-SANE, Inc. is a local nonprofit that is funded by contributions from partnering agencies, Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Fund, grants and donations from the community.