Naperville Chocolate Fest raises money for social-service group
Monica Jackson of Aurora walked with her three children down Fudge Street, heading toward Truffle Way. All three kids munched on chocolate goodies.
"It was like Disneyland in there for them," she said. "I let them have a little taste now, but I'm saving the rest for tonight's dessert."
The Jackson family had just visited the seventh annual Chocolate Fest in Naperville, a fundraiser for Naperville-based NCO Youth and Family Services.
Chocolate vendors from the area set up shop inside the Neuqua Valley High School Freshman Center for the day. Other rooms housed cooking demonstrations, chocolate-making competitions and a children's area complete with inflatable bouncy houses.
The vendors who participated offered plenty of mouthwatering free samples to keep people interested. Just about every type of chocolate was on display - white, dark, fruit-filled, nut-filled, even chocolate imprinted with photographs.
"The crowds have been wonderful, better than last year," said Heather Mansholt, owner of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Naperville. Mansholt said her company's chocolate-covered strawberries, all of them the size of golf balls, were its biggest hit.
Another vendor said her chocolate was both delicious and healthy. Cathy Bouchard, owner of Naperville's Le Chocolat, credits the milk-free European-style chocolate sold at her store with eliminating the chronic pain and headaches she used to endure.
"'Real' chocolate, not the milk chocolate people in America are used to eating, is almost like a miracle food," she said. "It contains just about everything the body needs to stay healthy and energetic. I really can't say enough about it."
The Chocolate Fest is one of three big fundraisers that NCO Youth and Family Services runs each year. Together, the events provide a big portion of the money the organization needs to provide its counseling and housing services to youth and adults from the area.
"Chocolate Fest generates a lot of goodwill and exposure for us," said Tony Chirico, president of the group's board of directors. "Demand for the services we provide is continuous, but sources of funding are variable, so an event like this is very important."