NECCO opens candy store to aid tornado victims

REVERE – Yvette, Olivia and Clark Nau arrived at The New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) in Revere on Monday morning with all the eagerness of, well, kids in a candy store.The Nau children, along with their grandparents, drove about 40 minutes from Sharon to shop at the NECCO world headquarters. The family also wanted to show their support for those affected by the July 28 tornado.?We are buying candy today and the money we spend will help people hurt by the tornado,” said 9-year-old Yvette.The NECCO candy store is open this week in an effort to raise money for the Revere Tornado Relief Fund.Mary Lane, social media specialist for NECCO, said that the marketing department came up with the idea to open the store as a way to help raise money for relief efforts. The company headquarters is located only about a half mile away from where the tornado struck.?Candy makes people happy but we couldn?t just donate candy because that wouldn?t have been helpful,” Lane said. “The money raised will help fund relief efforts for the people who need it.”Lane said that 100 percent of the proceeds from all sales will go directly to the fund. Customers can browse the store and choose from a selection of popular classic candies such as NECCO Wafers, Clark Bars, Sky Bars, Mary Janes, Candy Buttons and Haviland Thin Mints, and most of the candy bars only cost a dollar.?The point of the sale is not to charge high prices,” Lane said. “The city of Revere has always been very good to us, so this is one way to give back to the community.”?The Peanut Butter Kisses are a customer favorite and they only cost three dollars per bag,” Lane said.The store also has a candy buffet where customers can create their own mix of sweets for just $2 per bag. The buffet includes Chocolate Stars, Clark Coconut Crunch, Bridge Mix and Peanut Clusters, candies that Lane said are normally only sold in bulk.As the Nau kids stocked up on sweets, their grandmother reminded them that all the money spent was going toward a good cause. She also told them that the candy they purchased could be packed in their lunch boxes as snacks later during the school year.NECCO is the oldest continuously operating multi-line candy company in the United States and produces its entire assortment of candy at the company?s world headquarters in Revere. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 18-22, and cash and credit card are accepted for all transactions.Kristin Bornstein may be reached at [email protected].