ElfCon takes over parts of New York City, raises money for good causes
NEW YORK -- Now that SantaCon Santas are off the streets, elves are making their way around Union Square as part of ElfCon.
CBS2's Kristie Keleshian joined in on the event on Sunday, which is also for a good cause.
Trading in the beer and pizza from Saturday, cups were stacked for hot chocolate and breakfast pastries.
READ MORE: Hundreds flock to Midtown for annual SantaCon bar crawl
It's ElfCon's second year. Even in the rain, parents, kids, and hot chocolate lovers come out in their best elf-fits, touring around cafes and bakeries for the sweeter, chocolatier alternative to Saturday's SantaCon, which parents say their kids have been asking about. This is their way to join in on the fun.
"My son asked and said 'Oh, does that mean they get lots of sips at each place?' And I said, 'Yup.' Same with us. Lots of sips today," said Will McGrath of Manhattan.
And there is a strict vetting process when it comes to picking the four stops on the crawl, including customer service, bathroom access, and quality. Sophie, chief elf here, told Keleshian about that strict rule.
"Well, we elves take our hot chocolate seriously, so there is a strict now powder and water rule for our hot chocolate. We demand the good stuff," the ElfCon founder said.
For a $10 donation, café crawlers get their passport to the four participating spots that also donate.
ElfCon purchases to the Trevor Project for LGBTQ youth and the Making Headway Foundation for children with brain and spinal cord tumors, causes near and dear to Sophie, who founded ElfCon last year at 15 years old.
"It's a really good way to spread holiday cheer and the best way to spread holiday cheer is to help other people, so we're really glad to be doing that," Sophie said.
"Now that I know, next year, that's it. We're bringing a whole crew," said Jennifer Liriano of Queens.
Last year, ElfCon raised thousands of dollars for both of the same organizations.