Chocolate Festival Pleases Chocolate Lovers
Heiter Center Fund Raiser Huge Success
Lewisburg, Pa.- In the dead of winter, in the face of yet another ice storm during
the Lewisburg Ice Festival, the 13th Annual
Chocolate Lover’s Fantasy Festival to benefit
the Donald L Heiter Community Center, came
off without a hitch. Even after hundreds of
crazies took to the Susquehanna River for the
annual ice plunge earlier that afternoon and
even with a near capacity crowd at the
Bucknell-Navy basketball game that night, the
sellout crowd of 185 chocolate lovers got what
they came for at the Lewisburg Hotel on
Saturday evening……chocolate, and lot’s of it.
Starting with 145 pounds of donated Hershey
Chocolate, festival goers indulged in their
passion by also sampling dozens of chocolate
creations entered into an amateur competition
as well as a number of fabulous professional
creations provided by Elizabeths, Fleur et
Chocolat, Purity Candy, Reba & Pancho’s, Victoria House, Cherry Ally Café,
Temperance House and Weis Markets.
As festival goers indulged in hot appetizers and of course, chocolate, they were
treated to a live a capella performance by “The Sillhouettes” , an all female
singing group from Bucknell and of course, more chocolate and then more music
throughout the evening provided by disc jockey Jon Hendershot and a sound
system provided by Mark Swank.
In addition to the festival goers, the main beneficiary of this evening to remember
was the Donald L Heiter Community Center in Lewisburg. Nearly fifty donated
items from area businesses were bid on throughout the evening in a silent
auction and thirteen other donated items were auctioned off during a live auction
conducted by professional auctioneer Thomas B. Marquette. Final figures have
not been tallied yet but the Heiter Center hopes this year’s festival was one of the
best as a result of the auction items and the hundreds of raffle tickets sold over
the past couple of weeks by numerous board members, volunteers and the Chi
Omega Sorority and the Theta Chi Fraternity at Bucknell.
Winners for the evening in the amateur chocolate competition, as judged by a
panel of distinguished judges were: 1st Prize Cakes: Phoebe Oshirak for her
“Fancy Flowers Chocolate Cake”, 1st Prize Desserts/Pastries: Polly Doyle for her:
Chocolate Custard with Butterscotch Whipped Cream”, 1st Prize Candies:
Tammie Kline for Her “Chocolate Lover’s Unite” assorted homemade candy, 1st
Prize Savory: Kim DiRocco for her Chili Con Carney Chocolate. The Grand Prize,
“Best in Show” went to Phoebe Oshirak.
Among the 13 live auction items; an 8
person private cooking class by Reba
and Panchos sold for $800, a complete
Man’s tuxedo donated by Joe
Kleinbauer, Inc sold for $350, a pair of
season tickets to Bucknell Men’s and
Women’s Basketball for the 2011-12
season sold for $200 as did a Private
Summer Class for 6 People to learn
how to create a patio planter from
Country Farm and Home, a David
Armstrong Limited Edition Print from the Judges sample chocolate entries: From left:
Mark DiRocco, Skylar Weeks, Jillian Bond,
Open Door sold for $250, a limited
Bette Jane Weeks, Cynthia Shaffer, Lewisburg
edition Bradley Hendershot reproduction Mayor Judy Wagner
sold for $270 and a limited edition
Bradley Shoemaker print went for $230, a couple of season tickets to the Weis
Center for the 2011-12 season went for $210, a one night stay at the Inn at
Hickory Run sold for $160, a catered home made Pizza Party by Jeff and Deb
Ranck went for$150, a four seasonal flower arrangement package form the
Country Cupboard sold for $130, a gift basket from the Gingerbread House sold
for $45 and a Stephen Joseph Umbrella, jacket and rolling luggage from the
Purple Platypus sold for $30.
As the evening melted away, festival co-chair Jane Amacher acknowledged all of
the staff and volunteers who helped in organizing this year’s event, including the
youth group from the Revival Tabernacle in Milton and then President Molly
Pavlechko drew the winners of the raffle prizes from a basket held by evening
emcee, Paul Smith. The 14K White Gold and Diamond Necklace sponsored by
Williams and Williams Jewelers was won by Lisa Springer, 2 tickets to a
Pittsburgh Steelers game sponsored by Symons Capital Management were won
by John Stevenson, A Mountain Bike sponsored by Lack and Strosser
Architecture and Pronto Provision with Passion, Inc was won by Bucknell Head
Football Coach Joe Susan, an LG 26 inch LCD Flat Screen TV sponsored by
Jane and Loren Amacher was won by Tim Sweeney, 2 final round tickets to this
years US Open Golf Championship at Congressional Country Club sponsored by
Jeff and Deb Ranck was won by Karen Teichman, a Wii Gaming System
sponsored by Pete and Irene Henninger was won by Patty Driver and a Nook 3G
sponsored by Molly Pavlechko and Michael Johnson-Cramer was won by Paula
Wolfe.
On an icy winter weekend in Lewisburg, the Ice Festival and Chocolate Lover’s
Fantasy Festival, both lived up to their names.
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