Chocolate fund-raiser a sweet success

The first "Evening of Chocolat" fund-raiser for ladies guilds at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Community was a sweet success. Hundreds crowded Chartz Hall at the church Saturday evening for delicious chocolate, cheese, wine, art and raffles.

"They've done a beautiful job," said Debi Timmons, scanning the scene. She put raffle tickets in for a chance to win a one-hour massage and dinner at Thunder Canyon's Franktown Grill.

"There's a lot of nice valentine's baskets too," she said.

Her husband, Dan, had been put to work opening bottles.

Pouring them was St. Teresa office manager and 18-year guild member Janet Basgall. There was a 2002 Cawarra Shiraz Cabernet from Australia and a 2001 Healdsburg Cabernet Sauvignon.

"A lot of people are fascinated with the Australian but they're all good," she said.

All money collected by the event will be used for community projects by the five ladies guilds at the church. They have done Christmas baskets for needy families and donated to Advocates to End Domestic Violence and Friends in Service Helping.

"It's a great cause because it all goes toward helping people who really need it," said Linda Rossini from behind the cheese table. She offered slices of gruyere, Swiss jarlsberg, gouda and Danish bleu.

"Throughout the year we get calls from needy families looking for help," said event co-chair Marge Breister. "Our guild is always there to help them."

Other St. Teresa parishioners gave to the event - Gino and Judie Noriega, for example, donated several bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Surrounding the main room were tables loaded with donated raffle items.

Casino Fandango offered a dinner for two. The Purple Avocado gave a $15 gift certificate. Two stylists from the Mane Event offered haircuts.

Kathy Cole of the St. Phillips Guild sold hundreds of tickets. She was half-way through a roll of red tickets by 6:15 p.m.

"I already went through all the blue," she said.

At the main tables several local restaurants served sweets.

Greg Hoch, who owns the Sierra Glen Restaurant and Creamery with his wife, Cindy, offered chocolate gilatto and chocolate Almond Joy ice-cream on top of brownies.

"I've also got French shaved chocolate and hot fudge," he said.

"It's good," said a woman with a bowl spooned clean. "He's going to give me more."

Cindy Adams from David Walley's Resort brought a huge bowl of fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce to dip them in.

Grandma's Fudge Factory in Virginia City melted milk chocolate and provided fresh pears, apples, bananas, maraschino cherries and dried apricots to dip.

Marlo's Ltd. furnished wine glasses, the wine and two types of champagne: Cristalino Brut and Cristalino Extra Dry from Spain.

Ann Crawford of the St. Francis Guild was pouring it.

"It's very popular - good show," she said.

Wandering among the crowd were the Regency Strings, a classical trio.

Leader Danny Yale, who conducts the Carson Pops Orchestra, described what they play.

"We do all kinds of music: Continental; show tunes; Latin; opera; everything but..."

"Hip hop," interjected upright bass player George Worth.

Yale's wife Cecilia on violin rounded out the threesome.

The guilds didn't have a particular figure they were hoping to raise during Saturday's "Evening of Chocolat."

"Just as much as possible," said co-chair and guild president Kathy Johnson. "We hope to raise a couple thousand at least."

Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.