Taste of Chocolate raises funds for Women's Center

The 2020 Taste of Chocolate had all the ingredients for a good evening - plenty of food and drink, good conversation, tables bulging with auction items - and the knowledge that all the money raised was supporting The Women's Center, dedicated to erasing domestic violence and sexual assault in southern Illinois.

Every table inside the Carbondale Civic Center on Feb. 7 was filled with guests, who browsed the silent auction tables and patiently stood in line for food from some of the region's most popular eateries.

"I felt pretty good about the turnout," said John Pfeifer, development specialist for The Women's Center who has organized the last three annual events.

"This is the time of year when you can get bogged down in dinners and galas, but ours in different - we don't have a program, you don't have to endure speakers, and people can come eat and talk with their neighbors."

Pfeifer said he doesn't have a final total yet of what was raised. Previous events have brought in roughly $35,000, although the last couple of years have been more than $40,000, he said.

And since the expenses associated with Taste of Chocolate are low, around $4,000, there is plenty of money raised for The Women's Center's work.

The Women's Center has offices in Carbondale, Harrisburg, Benton and Marion. The main fundraiser, Taste of Chocolate, has been going on for 21 years. In that time, the center has served more than 15,000 clients in the domestic violence program and another 4,800 in rape crisis services. The center estimates it serves 1,400 clients a year.

Vendors at this year's event were Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda, Cook Spoons in Carbondale, Cristaudo's in Carbondale, Great Boars of Fire in Cobden, Insomnia Cookies in Carbondale, Larry's House of Cakes in Carbondale and Marion, One Hot Cookie in Murphysboro, R.E. & Sandy's Catering in Cobden and Hunan in Carbondale.