Island Treasure Chocolate and Shakespeare Gala

All three Senior Centers in San Juan County stage fund-raisers, major ones at least twice a year, and a host of smaller events that help pay the lights and heat. As staff and volunteers have become better at the whole thing, we have come to know that fun-raising and friend-raising both precede fund-raising.

This new awareness will come to the fore at Orcas Senior Center's Island Treasure Chocolate and Shakespeare Gala, 2-4pm on Saturday, May 7 in the Henry Road building. Following the Children's House May Day Festival next door, the Gala will feature a competition among professional, amateur, and youth chefs to see who can produce the most tasty chocolate creation.

John Gibbs, Jan Loudin, and Abby Rueb will judge the entries before guests arrive at 2pm, and the chocolate will be cut for tasting at 2:30. The award in the professional category will be a handsome trophy to hang in the winner's restaurant or bakery. Linda Hamm of Nature's Art has created aprons for the other awards, as well as for door prizes and special gifts.

A scene from Romeo and Juliet will be performed at 3pm. Doug Bechtel will be Master of Ceremonies.

At 3:30, awards will be presented to the winners in the three chocolate-making categories, followed by the grand finale: naming of this year's Island Treasure.

This will be the second year that the Orcas Senior Center has made this award. The first honoree, at a luncheon last May, was Susan Osborn. Her name will go, along with this year's winner, on a plaque that will hang in the Center.

Tickets for the Gala are $15 for a single chocolate lover, $25 for a pair of chocolate lovers, and $10 for chocolate lovers in training (10-18 years). Call 376-2677 to enter in the contest or to get a ticket.

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