UPDATE: Chocolate Festival Signs Criticized by MCC Vice Chair

UPDATE Jan. 26. McLean Rotary has planted up to 100 signs around McLean advertising  Sunday's Chocolate Festival.

“I think we’re getting a lot of buzz around town. We’re looking forward to a great event this weekend,” Rotary member Dana Sippel told the McLean Community Center board at its Wednesday evening.

Rotary is holding the festival at the Community Center.

MCC Vice Chair Risa Sanders said later at that meeting that Rotary was “an entity running off on their own and using our name. . . This signage is misrepresenting the event."

Sanders said the festival is a fund-raising event for Rotary and  "their name is not on the signs. It only says McLean Center."

She asked her fellow board members to "establish a protocol" whereby the board would have to approve all signs. Other board members seemed to agree.

Jan Auerbach, incoming chair of Rotary and creator of the Chocolate Festival explained, "The McLean Community Center was listed on the sign as the place of the event. The sign lists the event, date, time, and location, which is pretty standard on signs like that.

"We would have included our Rotary logo if we could, but the advice from the sign designer (who wasn't me) was to keep it as simple as possible so that the letters would be visible to drivers. On all other printed material, we have been careful to list the McLean Community Center as a co-sponsor of the event since they were gracious enough to give us the space and some publicity at no cost," Auerbach said.

At the Festival: Vendors will be selling all things chocolate.  There will be games for the kids.

Local retailers Fluffy Thoughts and Greenberry's will be on hand, as well as national marketers Godiva, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Schakolad Chocolate Factory. In addition, Dave's Candy Kitchen, SpagnVola Chocolatiers, and Sprinkles Cupcakes of Georgetown will make their treats available. Even Arlington's Dogma Gourmet Dog Bakery is coming to sell treats for your dog!

The McLean Chocolate Festival will raise money for local and international charitable projects as 25 percent of proceeds will help the Rotary fund charitable organizations, according to its website.

What: McLean Chocolate Festival, January 29, Noon - 5pm,  The McLean Community Center

Price:  General admission, $1; children under 6 years are free

Tokens are needed to purchase any items and are available in $1 and $5 increments, cash and credit cards are accepted.

ORIGINAL STORY, Jan 29. Calling all chocolate lovers!

The Rotary Club of McLean and the McLean Community Center are combining efforts to sponsor the first McLean Chocolate Festival, January 29 at the  Community Center.

“Someone once said, ‘there’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now.’ So join us on Sunday, January 29th, because for chocolate lovers, there’s no place better to be,”  said Steve Richardson, the publicity chairman.

Seventeen chocolate vendors will be featured at the extravaganza, selling sweets and some offering samples to share. Although not a Valentine’s Day event, some vendors will be featuring specials for the impending romantic holiday. Participants include C&D Sweets, Capitol Chocolate Fountains, Dave’s Candy Kitchen, Greenberry’s Coffee & Tea Company, Connie’s Chocolate Confections, GODIVA Chocolatier, SPAGnVOLA, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Schakolad Chocolate Factory, Fluffy Thoughts Cakes, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Dogma Gourmet Dog Bakery.

There will also be chocolate-themed games, organized by the Rotary’s Interact Clubs (RIC). RIC is comprised of high school student volunteers from the area.

In addition to sweets, a refreshment table will be set up to sell beverages.

Twenty-five percent of the proceeds will benefit the community organizations sponsored by the Rotary.

Founded in 1965, the Rotary began with twenty-one members and has now grown to approximately seventy. The club’s motto “service above self” embodies all activities of the Rotary Club. The Rotary “raises and distributes funds to organizations in and around the McLean community…looking for grassroots efforts,”  Richardson said.

Jan Auerbach, the incoming president of the Rotary, said that the club usually finds their recipients of funds through members of the club who are actively involved with the charity/organization. Some of the beneficiaries are local and some are international.

This year, Rotary was looking for a fundraising event that would attract members of the McLean community. For the past few years, Rotary has co-sponsored a Monte Carlo night with other area Rotary Clubs. According to Auerbach, the majority of attendees were Rotary Club members. She hoped by holding the festival at the MCC, residents would attend.

Rotary hopes to raise $2,500.

“We look at this as an opportunity to bring the community together to a fun event…Most people love chocolate,” Auerbach said.

What: McLean Chocolate Festival, January 29, Noon - 5pm,  The McLean Community Center

Price:  General admission, $1; children under 6 years are free

Tokens are needed to purchase any items and are available in $1 and $5 increments, cash and credit cards are accepted.

Full Disclosure: McLean Patch lives for chocolate.