February 22, 2016

For chocolate lovers it was a treat for the taste buds. For the United Way of Southern Chester County it was a way to raise much-needed funds. It was the annual Chocolate Lovers Festival held Sunday, Feb. 21, at Kennett High School.

Carrie Freeman, the organization’s CEO, said the event raised $16,500 for the Community Impact Fund. Her group has already received requests for more than $1 million so far this year.

“The proceeds will help fund programs at over 28 local nonprofits helping our neighbors in need,” she said in a follow-up press release a day after the festival. “We netted $1,000 more than last year, so it is great to see the proceeds growing year after year.”

More than a thousand people came to the Kennett High gymnasium — which smelled more like Willy Wonka’s famous factory than an arena for wrestling and basketball — where sweet tooth cravings were satisfied. And some needed serious attention.

Charlotte Knauer, from Paradise, was there as part of her birthday celebration. A friend bought 40 tasting tickets for her. Within an hour, all were used, and the friend was buying more tickets.

“I love to bake,” Knauer said, “and since they don’t tell you what’s in the recipe, you have to try to figure out what’s in it. It’s wonderful.”

When Knauer departed, she had an aluminum foil baking pan overflowing with cakes, cookies and brownies.

Addie Blaskovitz and her father, Dace, made the short trip up from Wilmington. According to dad, Addie had tasted 18 tickets’ worth in less than 20 minutes.

“They’re all good,” Addie said.

Joe and Crystal Nickle came up from Rising Sun, Md., with their 3-month old twins. Crystal Nickle said they heard about the event from friends and wanted to check it out.

After tasting the cookies and cream cake, the chocolate cherry cake, the cookie dough bomb and some chocolate pumpkin, Crystal Nickle said they’d be back next year, and the twins would help with the tasting.

Veterinarian and former Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board director Corrine Sweeney was doing her best to taste the best. After checking out a piece of chocolate with maple bacon, Sweeney deemed it “hoglicious.”

Along with the tasting, there was also some education going on, and that, too, naturally revolved around chocolate. Allison Schell and Sandi Johnson from the Chadds Ford Historical Society were giving informal lessons on the history of chocolate and how it was traditionally made and used.

Schell said many people don’t realize the Aztecs, Mayans and Toltecs drank a spicy chocolate beverage made with chili peppers. Centuries later, it was Europeans with their more wintry tastes who added sugar to make it a sweet drink.

Freeman said the day was a success because of all the people who baked or volunteered to help out.

“We can’t thank enough the adults, professionals, and students who baked for us,” Freeman said. “Without their entries, this festival couldn’t happen. We also appreciate our sponsors: our lead Dark Chocolate sponsor – Bank of America, our Milk Chocolate sponsor – W.L. Gore, and our White Chocolate Sponsors – Union Street Financial and TD Bank.”