Grab your girls (or guys–no discrimination!) and hit the town for DeKalb’s second annual Girls Night Out.

Benefitting the American Heart Association (AHA), Girls Night Out is a community-wide event geared toward having fun and being informed. Many stores in downtown DeKalb will participate by offering raffles, food and shopping.

According to Debbie Witmer, proprietor at O’Leary’s Restaurant and Pub, 260 E. Lincoln Highway, a Coach purse will be raffled off, while the Confectionary, 149 N. Second St., features a chocolate basket as their top prize. Other stores will raffle gift certificates and other small prizes, as well as Go Red food and drink specials, Witmer said.

The Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., will host a silent auction and screening of Eat Pray Love, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the AMA.

“We chose the American Heart Association because so much of the money raised stays in the local community,” Witmer said.

According to Witmer, over $508,000 was donated by the AHA to the DeKalb area last year.

Along with their own events, stores will also feature representatives from Kishwaukee Community Hospital and the AHA, informing people on the importance of female heart health and what can be done to stay healthy.

The fun is not just confined to the indoors. Vendors such as TAILS Humane Society and Lia Sophia will have booths set up along the downtown streets, Witmer said.

“This year is going to be much bigger than last year,” Witmer said. “This is not just an O’Leary’s event—this is a community effort.”

Girls Night Out goes from 4 to 8 p.m. today. Maps of participating downtown and outer-area stores will be available at each location.