Chocolate Fantasia

2nd Annual Chocolate Fantasia slated for Feb. 11 by Wendy Sledd Special to MyKNCT.com COPPERAS COVE, TX (January 30, 2022)—An estimated 2,500 chocolates along with faux champagne, coffee, and paintings from 30 CCISD students enrolled in special education classes will fill the Copperas Cove Civic Center on Feb. 11 for the 2nd Annual Chocolate Fantasia…

Gary Emmert
2–3 minutes

2nd Annual Chocolate Fantasia slated for Feb. 11

by Wendy Sledd

Special to MyKNCT.com

COPPERAS COVE, TX (January 30, 2022)—An estimated 2,500 chocolates along with faux champagne, coffee, and paintings from 30 CCISD students enrolled in special education classes will fill the Copperas Cove Civic Center on Feb. 11 for the 2nd Annual Chocolate Fantasia event, a perfect and affordable Valentine’s outing for all ages.

Copperas Cove High School Special Education Teacher Renee Moore is hosting this year’s event to benefit her chosen charity, Special Olympics, through her reign as Senior Ms. Five Hills.

Copperas Cove special education student Desmond Walker poses for a photo with his artwork with his family at the 2021 Chocolate Fantasia event. Thirty special education students will have their artwork on display and it will be raffled to benefit Special Olympics on Feb. 11 at the Copperas Cove Civic Center.

“Special Olympics promotes unity and acceptance of differences. Special Olympics gives students with disabilities wonderful opportunities to be a part of something great,” Moore said.

Copperas Cove Junior High Farm-to-Table students in teacher Yliris Finney’s classes and Copperas Cove High School Culinary Arts students in teacher Shelby Martin’s classes will create chocolate delights for the event, making 300 of each different offering.

Williams/Ledger Elementary student Romella Spitzer serves guests chocolates at the inaugural chocolate fantasia event. Through her title as Preteen Miss Five Hills 2020, Spitzer hosted the fundraiser that benefits CCISD’s special education department.

Finney said her students were so excited for the real-world experience that they could not narrow their list down to just three and would instead make four different kinds of chocolate treats for a total of 1,200 chocolates.

“Sometimes the guest wants to try again the ones that they are not sure about the flavors,” Finney said.
The guests’ opinions matter as they will each vote for their favorite chocolate delight for the best of show award. The winning class receives a $100 H-E-B gift certificate.

Martin’s classes are participating for a second year and will create an additional 900-1,200 chocolates for the event as students also serve the chocolates to guests.

Copperas Cove High School Culinary Arts students in teacher Shelby Martin’s classes prep more than 1,200 chocolate delights for the 2021 Chocolate Fantasia event. CCHS students will share their chocolate creations with guests again this year as they compete for the best of show award. All proceeds from the Valentine’s outing benefit CCISD Special Olympics.

Students enrolled in special education classes have also been working on their art pieces since October. The artwork will be on display and will be raffled to benefit Special Olympics as will tickets sales for the event.

Proceeds from Chocolate Fantasia will be used to provide for student athletes participating in Special Olympics. CCHS Special Olympics athletes placed fourth in the state track and field competition in 2021. The University Interscholastic League and Special Olympics Texas now allow unified programming which includes students with and without intellectual disabilities participating together in activities to be UIL sanctioned across the state of Texas. This allows CCISD students enrolled in special education to letter in specific sports as general education athletes do.

Tickets are $10 and are available at covechocolatefantasia.eventbrite.com and will also be available for purchase at the event which is limited to 200 guests. Last year’s event sold out of tickets. So, guests are encouraged to get their tickets early.

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