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An oceanfront setting at The Rincon Beach Club in Carpinteria was the lovely scene as supporters and guests of the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center gathered for the Eighth Annual Chocolate de Vine fundraiser.
Funds from the always popular and festive chocolate and wine celebration are used for much-needed prevention and intervention programs.
“The Chocolate de Vine event is a delicious and fun way to address a very serious cause in our community,” executive director Elsa Granados told Noozhawk. “The proceeds from the event support the work of Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center with survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones.
“The funds also support rape prevention programs, which help us reach individuals from civic and business groups, schools, colleges and programs for at-risk youth.”
A gentle ocean breeze greeted guests along with an impressive array provided by more than 15 local wineries, bakers and chocolatiers. Also available for participation was a chance to bid in a spirited live auction for luxurious getaways, including a slice of Caribbean paradise in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Juried awards were also handed out for outstanding chocolate creations, including the People’s Choice Award, Outstanding Flavor Appeal and Best Tabletop Presentation.
Pastry chefs and chocolatiers who excited taste buds included Brasil Arts Café, Green Table, Lelé Patisserie, Lilac Patisserie, Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Piece of Mind, Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro, Stafford’s Chocolates and Your Cake Baker.
Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates are part of Project Hope and Fairness, helping African cocoa farmers, and had a beautiful display of chocolate crowns for guests to admire and enjoy. Chef Tom Neuhas trained in both France and Austria, going from Texas to New York City and Washington D.C., before settling on the Central Coast, having taught at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“Over a dozen trips to West Africa have demonstrated that certification schemes provide few guarantees to the farmers,” Neuhaus said. “So, to become the change we want to see, we are gradually transitioning to a bean to bar business, making it possible to reward cocoa farmers directly for high quality.”
Project Hope and Fairness assists farmers in four ways, with tools and encouraging tourists to visit, building factories and a research center where university students can work with cocoa farmers, and developing infrastructure, such as bridges and wells.
Palates were cleansed by delicious and sophisticated pours from Consilience Wines, Demetria Winery & Vineyard, Giessinger Winery, Palmina, Rideau Vineyard and Tierra y Vino.
The Chocolate de Vine fundraiser benefits the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, founded in 1974 to support survivors of sexual assault. The organization offers a 24-hour hotline, crisis and long-term counseling, self-defense programs, and sexual assault prevention education programs. All services are offered, regardless of ability to pay.
Programs offered by the center include Latino services, recognizing the need to serve Spanish-speaking members of the community; education and prevention, with education programs in both English and Spanish, including a 145-page adolescent sexual assault prevention curriculum; self-defense classes also taught in both English and Spanish and with classes for people with special needs; and training and in-services with specialized training to law enforcement agencies, medical personnel, educators, counselors and social service providers.
The center also provides education and awareness about some of the commonly held myths, such as that rape is uncommon, when in fact rape is the most frequently committed violent crime, or other myths like only young, attractive women are sexually assaulted when, in reality, sexual assault is a crime of power and control, not sexual attraction, and perpetrators often choose victims who they perceive as vulnerable.
Volunteers serve as a vital support network to the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, providing more than 20,000 hours of service to the community each year. Opportunities to assist the organization are available by contacting Nereyda Montaño at 805.963.6832 or nereyda@sbrcc.net.
Event sponsors included Rincon Events, Montecito Bank & Trust, Venoco, Easy Lift, Santa Barbara Chocolate Company, Union Bank, Tri-Valley Trophies & Specialties, DA Davidson and Impulse.
Click here for more information about the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, or contact executive director Elsa Granados at elsa@sbrcc.net or 805.963.6832. Click here to make an online donation.
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
