Chocolate festival to help students, child in Dardanelle

DARDANELLE — It sounds almost too good to be true — eating chocolate to help community members in need.

The Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce fifth annual Chocolate Festival on July 13 will do just that, said Stacey Daughtrey, executive vice director.

“We’ve raised over $20,000 over five years,” Daughtrey said. “When people hear what’s going on, they just come [out to help].”

Several community members with life-threatening conditions have been helped, and money has been put toward The Lizard Lunch Box to pay for school lunches for needy kids, she said.

This year, part of the proceeds will go to 3-year-old Ethan Gutierrez of Dardanelle, who was diagnosed in January with a form of leukemia, Daughtrey said. His parents are Krystal Rhinehart and Brandon Gutierrez. Daughtrey said Ethan is being treated at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. “I’ve known these kids since they were in kindergarten,” she said of Ethan’s parents.

This year’s chocolate festival has a ’50s theme, Shake, Rattle and Roll. It’s scheduled for 5-8 p.m. at the Dardanelle Community Center, 2011 Arkansas 22 W. A $5 minimum

donation is requested at the door. Sponsorships are still being taken, she said.

Del ectable chocolate creations available from businesses and groups will include chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolate gravy and biscuits, chocolate chipotle popcorn, fudge and more.

“It’s supposed to promote their business or club or organization, but what it really is, is for people to come together to take care of the Lizard Lunch Fund or Ethan,” she said. Daughtrey said people don’t seem concerned about promoting their businesses as much as helping.

“That’s what the really sweet part of it is. It’s more about having a fundraiser for people in need,” she said.

Last year, all the chocolatefestival proceeds, $4,000, went to The Lizard Lunch Box, which helps students in kindergarten through the 12th grade.

“Some families qualify for reduced-priced lunches, but not free lunches,” Daughtrey said. And some families still struggle to pay the reduced prices.

“I’ve never seen any of the kids’ names, but when you’re in a small town, a small school, the lunch ladies see — why isn’t that kid eating today? We know the parents are going through a divorce; we know daddy’s in the hospital. [Cafeteria employees] work together with the school secretary, and if a need is known, we help buy their lunch,” Daughtrey said.

Daughtrey said she primarily works with Verna Jones, “one of our beloved lunch ladies.”

Jones, who is in her fourth year at the school, said The Lizard Lunch Box “is amazing; it’s an amazing program.”

“A couple of times a month, I’ll print out a reduced-charge list, and I take that to [the festival committee], and I put [money] on all the kids’ accounts,” Jones said.

“Most of the time, the kids don’t know that it went in there,” Jones said. “They’re never not fed.”

Jones said parents fill out free and reduced-price lunch forms at the beginning of each school year.

“We do always tell the kids and the parents, … ‘I don’t care if their income changes 20 times a year. Fill out that form again.’ If their income changes at all … mom loses a job … they can fill out that form again.”

Jones said the chocolate festival is well-attended.

“We had a bunch of people come from all over last year … Clarksville, Morrilton, who attended just because [the proceeds were] going to the school lunch program.

“It’s all about our kids; we love our kids,” she said.

For more information about the fifth annual Chocolate Festival, call the chamber at (479) 229-3328. tkeith@arkansasonline.com.