Chocolate Fest brings warmth to Kent’s midwinter

KENT — No golden ticket was needed for the 28th Annual Chocolate Fest at the Kent Center School on Feb. 12, and luckily no attendant, child or adult, was turned into a blueberry.

The sugar was flowing, however, reported Rich Barber, who was doling out sweets for eager guests. “I’m just trying to keep the sugar highs from getting out of control,” he said after placing another cookie on an already ample plate.

When Barber isn’t busy distributing delicacies, he serves on the board of the Kent Center School Scholarship Fund, for which the Chocolate Fest is the only fundraiser of the year. The Scholarship, which has been continuously running for 63 years, offers five years of support to Kent Central graduates as they move on to higher education elsewhere. The Fund has awarded over $1,000,000 to over 1,000 students so far, said Chocolate Fest Co-Chair Lee Sohl.

Sohl explained that it remains the sole fundraising event of the year because of the generosity of the Scholarship’s supporters. Chocolate Fest doesn’t raise huge sums — each attendant pays a $5 entry fee for unlimited access to the goodies — but it still plays a more important role, Sohl said: “It’s our connection with the community.”

Plus, it’s just a good time: “It’s fun because everybody’s happy — they’re getting chocolates!”

Cookies, brownies, blondies and beyond were piledhigh on platters surrounding the bustling room, courtesy of kitchens across Kent belonging to local restaurants, area schools, Scholarship board members, past recipients of the Scholarship, and other members of the community.

Sohl expressed her gratitude for all who donated, saying that the restaurants, schools, and other contributors were “just so generous.”

The event was nut-free to accommodate for allergies, and even featured a gluten-free counter. As Sohl put it, “We are full-service.”

Other notable stalls included a chocolate fountain staffed by Cathy Montemorra and Wendy Harvey, who have been dispensing sweets at the Fest for “a good 15 years.”

The Kent Land Trust also had a table decked in hoodies and other merchandise, but KLT Program Manager Melissa Cherniske said that the real action was at the bracelet-making station the Trust had set up for the event. Cherniske expressed that KLT’s participation in Chocolate Fest goes back years, and represents a close relationship between the two organizations: “All our kids went to Kent Central,” she said.

Sweets aside, community and kinship are the heart of Chocolate Fest. As Barber put it, “It’s really just a nice family thing.”