Charity In Chocolate Event Offers Excitement For Foodies And Fashionistas

Top chefs turn chocolate and sugar into fanciful dresses and accessories for a delicious fashion show to benefit local charity with national impact

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Award-winning chefs unveiled their mastery of cocoa and couture at the decadent Charity in Chocolate benefit event, featuring DC's only Chocolate Fashion Show.  Charity in Chocolate is hosted by the Heart of America Foundation® (HOA), a DC-based nonprofit that combines volunteer service and literacy to support the needs of at-risk children in the D.C. area as well as nationwide. Proceeds from Charity in Chocolate will go to help HOA's Books From The Heart™ program to provide books to children living in poverty who have few or no books of their own.

Held at the beautiful National Building Museum, the event featured more than 60 local chefs who offered sweet and savory tastings as well as presented gravity-defying chocolate sculptures.  Attendees were able to sample the delicacies as well as enjoy a silent auction, open bar and the evening's highlight - the Chocolate Fashion Show, where 14 models walked the runway in chocolate and sugar couture designed by local chefs. The chocolate fashion winner of the night was the Queen of Hearts created by Shaun McCarty, Pastry Sous Chef at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Centre.

Celebrity guest judges of the fashion show included WTOP's "Man About Town" Bob Madigan; Kate Michaels, President of K Street Kate; Heather Roth, 2008 RAMW Pastry Chef of the Year; Chef Susan Notter, Director of Pastry Arts The Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts; and Chef  Malcolm Mitchell, Celebrity Chef, Food Network Star – Season 8 Finalist.

Among the other excitement of the evening, there was also time to recognize several individual who are making a difference both in D.C. and nationwide.  Leah Gansler, Founder of CharityWorks was awarded the Hero of the Heart Award for her excellent leadership behind CharityWorks – where she is on the front lines of community service – raising money, motivating volunteers and working with their non-profit partners. Principal Tiffany Clemmons, of the C.W. Harris Elementary School was awarded the Principal of the Year Award for her tireless dedication to DC Public Schools and leadership.  

About The Heart of America Foundation®

The Heart of America Foundation, a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC, uniquely combines volunteerism and literacy. The organization's focus is to provide children in need everywhere with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference. The Heart of America puts books into the hands of children who need them the most while transforming school libraries in underserved communities into vital and vibrant centers of learning that become the heart of a school. Since 1997, the organization has provided children living in poverty with over 1.85 million library and take-home books, and engaged volunteers in more than 1,020,000 hours of service to the community.

SOURCE The Heart of America Foundation