Truffles, fudge, brownies, cake, and plenty of chocolate tastes to satisfy a sweet tooth will be offered at “An Evening of Everything Chocolate” on Saturday, May 9, in support of Agape House of Oak Ridge.
The evening, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will feature 10 tasting stations with a variety of chocolate culinary temptations, along with coffee and tea to wash them down.
Bakers and candy makers are invited to bring their best creations to the evening’s baking contest. For an entry fee of $10, bakers may enter any dessert containing chocolate, with celebrity judges tasting the entries and awarding a gold medal to the winning dessert. The dessert should contain eight servings. Contest judges will be caterer Judy Dodd, Oak Ridge City Council member Rick Chinn, and Oak Ridge School Board Chairman Keys Fillauer.
Tickets are $30 per person. Tickets are available at The Ferrell Shop and the First United Methodist Church office, with limited tickets at the door. Also, to purchase tickets, or for more information, e-mail Agape House director Michael McCutcheon at michael@oakridgeagape.org and leave your contact information, or call and leave a message at the Agape House at (865) 321-1130.
The event will also feature the auction of a basket filled with chocolate goodies. All proceeds will go to the direct support of Agape House, a nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing for the homeless. Since opening in 2014, Agape House has helped 12 homeless families or individuals with short-term housing as they work with other agencies to develop a plan for permanent housing during their 30-day stay.
People have been referred to Agape House by agencies that include TORCH (Trinity Outreach Center of Hope) and Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, as well as the Veterans Administration. Other partners include the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless, Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, and Ecumenical Storehouse.
Agape House is an all-volunteer agency. This year’s budget is small, $12,250, and “An Evening of Everything Chocolate” will support a significant portion of the annual budget.
Tasting station sponsors of the event include Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services; the law firm of Ritter, Biloski, and Associates; Danny Driver of Bailey Insurance; Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Restaurant; Enrichment Federal Credit Union; Y-12 Federal Credit Union; and ORNL Federal Credit Union, Cyndie and Rodney Renfro; Michael McCutcheon and Lynn Ross; The Ferrell Shop; and Tom Beehan and Kay Brookshire.
The Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
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