The community is invited to enjoy “An Evening in Paris” when they join The Salvation Army for the 12th annual Elegance in Chocolate.
Organizers chose this year’s theme based on the City of Light in honor of the 130th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower, which opened to the public on May 15, 1889.
The event is one of the Bradford organization’s biggest fundraisers, second only to the Red Kettle campaign in November and December.
Elegance in Chocolate will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. May 20 at the Masonic Center, 625 South Ave., Bradford. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased now at the Salvation Army, 111 Jackson Ave.
On Monday, people were busy at the organization’s office making homemade chocolate candies that can be enjoyed by visitors.
While the event is known for its all-you-can eat selection of chocolate, there will be more for attendees to enjoy.
Entertainment will be live music by Ronan, Copeland and Geci. Live and silent auctions will be held, too. The event will again include a photo booth, which has been a popular feature for the past couple of years.
Each year, organizers take special care to put together treats that are not only tasty but also make for a beautiful visual display.
On Tuesday, Arleene Shick showed The Era peanut butter and white chocolate candies, modified from a Halloween recipe she found in “Taste of Home” magazine.
Balls of no-egg cookie dough were ready to be covered in chocolate, too. There were salted caramels and regular caramels covered in chocolate, Oreo truffles and truffles made with lemon-flavored sandwich cookies. Chocolate-covered bacon and chocolate-covered potato chips will be available, too, said Linda Woodley.
Another popular feature are the chocolate fountains, one chocolate and the other white chocolate, where attendees can dip pretzels, marshmallows and more into a waterfall of the melted confection.
The auctions will offer items donated by local vendors including gift certificates, jewelry and even a set of Eiffel Tower sheets. The public can get a sneak peek of some auction items in the front window of Northwest Bank on Main Street.
“I think a lot of people come thinking, ‘It’s a fundraiser,’” but it’s not just that, according to Salvation Army Capt. David Means. “It’s a great night out.”
Organizers said the evening makes a great Mother’s Day gift, date night or girls’ night out. In fact, last year a group held a bachelorette party at the event.
Means explained the spring fundraiser helps fund Salvation Army programs for the upcoming summer, when there tends to be a dip in donations.
“We just love to serve the community any way we can,” said Means.
For instance, he said that every Thursday the organization holds a free clothing event.
Also, they send children to summer camp in Owens City. They have 17 camper slots for the camp, which Means said is an ACA-accredited, “extremely well supervised” camp.
The organization also provides social services such as food or a night’s lodging, said Woodley.
Additionally, local churches take turns holding a worship service every Sunday at local nursing homes including the Ecumenical Home, Bradford Manor and The Pavilion at Bradford Regional Medical Center.
“It’s a great community collaboration,” Means said.
People can buy tickets for Elegance in Chocolate at the door, or they can purchase them now at the Salvation Army office between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
