Southport Magazine

Poppinz Gourmet of Calabash, NC, provided chocolate pops for last year’s gala. Courtesy photo

What: An Evening of Chocolate Decadence
When: Saturday, September 14th
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: St. James Community Center
4136 Southport-Supply Rd.
Cost: $50/person
Info: www.waves4kids.org

Not many people can resist chocolate. WAVES4K.I.D.S discovered this fact, learning the perfect ingredient for throwing a fund-raiser is, indeed, chocolate. The non-profit organization, which provides financial support and services for children associated with foster care and Child Protective Services in Brunswick County, hosted its first fundraiser in 2008 as a dance at the Southport Community Center. The function was attended by approximately 65 guests.

In 2010, WAVES4K.I.D.S. changed the entire fund-raiser theme to chocolate, and it was the first year a benefit of theirs sold out. In 2012, the name of their annual event was changed to “An Evening of Chocolate Decadence Gala.”

“Each year, it has grown to include more chocolate exhibits, more participation from premier local restaurants, and more auction items provided by local community businesses,” president of WAVES4K.I.D.S, Kay Wolf, details. This year the evening will be filled with music, chocolate, wine and auctions, giving guests the ‘red carpet treatment,’” according to Wolf.

Guests can look forward to devouring delicious dishes prepared by chocolatiers and local restaurants. “Chocolatiers will be providing a variety of chocolate items such as, candies, cupcakes, turtle cookies, brownies, caramel cookies, doughnut holes, bite-sized cakes, a chocolate fountain, chocolate-covered fruit and chocolate tortes,” Wolf lists. “That’s just to name a few!”

Island Way Restaurant of Oak Island, Baked with Love of Southport, and Ahoy Doughnuts of Oak Island are some of the businesses involved in the dessert portion.

Local restaurants—some of which include Island Way, Shagger Jack’s, and Ports of Call Bistro—will be providing a variety of hot hors d’oeuvres such as: bacon-wrapped scallops, Italian meatballs, garlic twists, specialty pizza bites, steak and chicken skewers, and coconut shrimp.

Both live and silent auctions will take place through the night. Some of the silent auction items include: gift certificates to local restaurants, jewelry, golf lessons, gift baskets, and more.

The live auction will feature memorabilia, including some hot-ticket items: three NBA basketballs signed by the NBA champions, Miami Heat stars LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. The basketballs are housed in engraved, mirrored glass cases. There also will be three signed NFL footballs; an autographed authentic Squire Stratocaster by Fender Guitar from the 2008 Academy of Country Music Association; and custom-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry crafted by Geoffrey White, master goldsmith of Island Jewelers.

The silent auction will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed straight after by the live auction which will go on until 8.30 p.m.

Party of Two will provide the musical entertainment, having played previous fund-raisers by WAVES4K.I.D.S. Performing since 2001, Party of Two has a reputation for being a crowd pleaser, catering to a variety of genres, including dance music, pop, rock, blues and country.

A majority of the proceeds from the gala will benefit WAVES4K.I.D.S., providing school supplies, educational grants, medical and therapeutic devices, as well as art, music, singing and dance lessons, among other programs.

“To date, WAVES4K.I.D.S serves over 1,000 Brunswick County youths and their families on an ongoing annual basis,” Wolf informs. “At its inception during 2004, WAVES served approximately 100 youths annually. Beginning with the economic downturn in 2008, the number of children and young adults we serve has steadily increased and remains at over 1,000.”

One-third of the net revenue raised will support the Philip A. Cook Memorial Education and Development fund, a college scholarship provided to local students in honor of the fund’s namesake, the savvy restaurateur who began Island Way Restaurant. Cook’s sons, Steve and Chad, founded the Philip A. Cook Memorial Golf Tournament after their father was robbed and murdered in 2007, donating 100 percent of the proceeds to WAVES. The scholarship, founded in 2012, has been a successful spin-off of their “Monday after the Masters” golf tournament.

Dress for the Evening of Chocolate Decadence Gala is semi-formal: Woman should be dressed in cocktail or formal attire and it is required that men wear jackets. Tickets are $50 per person, which includes two complimentary beverages. For ticket sales and more information, visit www.waves4kids.org. Those interested in attending should purchase tickets in advance as the event sells out every year.