The Lincoln Home in Newcastle was the host location Feb. 5 for the 10th Annual Chocolate Fest and Silent Auction.
The benefit for Healthy Kids of Lincoln County drew a crowd in spite of snowy and slippery traveling conditions. Over 125 elegantly clad men and women, sporting tuxedos and evening wear braved the elements for two things that encourage enthusiasm and delight: children and chocolate.
The Chocolate Fest moved this year to the gracious common areas at The Lincoln Home on the River Road.
Since Healthy Kids serves all of Lincoln County, Chocolate Fest will be held at a variety of locations around the county in future years in keeping with that mission. Skidompha Library has happily hosted the event in its first years.
The larger space at Lincoln Home gave attendees more room to wander among the beautifully displayed auction items.
Donations ranged from a delightful handcrafted felt doll made by 12-year-old Emma Goltz (won by Shannon Carr) and a goat art print by 11-year-old Essie Martin (won by Jenny Mayer) to getaway weekends, ski passes, fine art and fine jewelry.
Original Woodstock tickets donated and signed by show producer Michael Lang were hotly contested and won by Tracy Martin. The variety included the useful – an oven and refrigerator cleaning; to the fanciful – a night of star gazing; and, there was the luxurious: an hour-long massage. More than 175 silent auction items were displayed for bids.
Entertainment was provided by the duo of Louise and Bernie Watson, international piano and vocal entertainers. The couple has performed locally at the Bradley Inn, but is best known for delighting audiences on the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, including her travels to Dubai.
Their delightful repartee and individual charm added the coup de grace to the evening. Familiar music filled the air, and with the aroma of chocolate, made the atmosphere delicious.
The star of the show was certainly chocolate. Perhaps because it is mildly addictive, chocolate attracts fans in a way that few other foodstuffs can rival. When was the last time anyone was described as a “vanilla-aholic?”
There is an extensive body of writing dedicated to musings on chocolate and its delights. The humorist Miranda Ingram claims, “It’s not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate.”
The early 19th century gastronome Brillat-Savarin asserted, “Carefully prepared chocolate is as healthful a food as it is pleasant, that it is nourishing and easily digested, that it is above all helpful to people who must do a great deal of mental work.” Science now backs him up, to the delight of chocolate lovers everywhere.
Caterer Damariscotta River Grill’s hors d’oeuvres were circulated amongst the guests by Grill staffers, who also happened to be Lincoln Academy students. Champagne and sparkling water in flutes sparkled in the well-designed lighting.
Healthy Kids takes positive steps throughout Lincoln County to encourage and promote positive family support. With home visits to address parenting concerns, school-based programs and workshops, the organization works to prevent abuse and neglect by education and example.
Strong community support, evidenced by the attendance and donations, provides not only financial benefit to the agency but encouragement to the hard working staff at Healthy Kids. Their dedication to the future of the children in Lincoln County deserves applause and continued Festivals of Chocolate for years to come.
