Students from Easley's Forest Acres Elementary School helped The Children's Museum of the Upstate make a sweet announcement this morning.
The kindergartners were on-hand at the museum for the announcement of this year's Chocolate Soiree, an annual benefit for the Children's Museum.
The students sang at the announcement then released special purple balloons into the air at the end, then visited the museum.
“This morning we're here to talk about my favorite things,” said Nancy Halverson, President and CEO of the Children's Museum of the Upstate. “First, the Children's Museum of the Upstate and my second favorite thing is chocolate.
This year's Soiree will be held 6:30pm Thursday, March 14 at the Poinsett Club in Greenville. 2013 marks the thirteenth year of the event.
“With that, we want to make some changes to the event,” Halverson said. “We want to hold on the great tradition of chocolate, but we want to add some new exciting things.”
She said the Chocolate Soiree has done a lot of good for the museum over the years.
Funds raised from the event will benefit some special programs at the museum, including the Fund a Family program.
“We want to be sure that this fabulous, fabulous venue is available to all children,” Halverson said. “No matter what neighborhood they come from, no matter how rich or poor their families are, we want them to know that they can come to the Children's Museum and feel welcome, and that is their place to grow and to learn.
Fund A Family helps museum staff do just that.
“We partner with the United Way and 18 of their agencies, and we give free tickets to families that are in need, so they can come and enjoy the museum,” Halverson said.
Each year, about 36,000 children from area school districts come to the museum on field trips, she said.
“The funds from the Soiree helps subsidize that, so that Title I kids can come in on scholarships, but then we can keep the cost down for all others,” Halverson said. “It's a big part of what we do.”
This year's Soiree will also help purchase a new exhibit at the museum – the Imagination Playground.
“It's actually a portable foam playground that teaches kids all about creativity, architecture and working together, collaborating,” she said. “We'll be purchasing this exhibit, having it here in the museum throughout the summer, and after that, we'll be able to load it up in a truck and take it anywhere we want to go. We really look forward to be able to take that to neighborhoods that might not be able to come to the Children's Museum.”
A special promotion for The Chocolate Soiree is launching tomorrow. “Find the Purple Ticket” is a Willy Wonka-style hunt for purple tickets, which have been place inside four special chocolate bars. The purple tickets entitle the winners to a pair of tickets to The Chocolate Soiree and an annual family membership to the TCMU.
“It's a $500 value,” Halverson said.
The bars are $5 each and available at retail locations in Greenville.
“All of the proceeds go to support great programs (at the museum),” Halverson said.
Once again, the Chocolate Soiree will feature talented area chefs to create “some wonderful delicacy using chocolate,” she said.
“At the event, all of our guests will have the opportunity for which chocolate treat they like the best,” Halverson said.
The event will also feature music by special guest DJ Rootz and a live auction that includes sporting events, trips, entertainment events as well as special events with area chefs.
This Soiree will also feature a tombola wall.
“It's a beautiful wall filled with beautiful wrapped gifts,” Halverson said. “In each of these gifts will be another special prize. It may have an iPad in it, it may have a membership to the Children's Museum, or it may have an opportunity to have one of our wonderful chefs come to your home and prepare a dinner party.”
Tickers and sponsorship packages are still available. This year's Soiree is based around a purple theme. Future events will be color-coded with other hues in the TCMU logo.
Tickets, a list of where you can find the special chocolate bars and more information on the Soiree can be found at www.thechocolatesoiree.com.
“Please join us for13th Annual Chocolate Soiree,” Halverson said. “We are going to paint the town purple.”