Once again, chocolate lovers will be in heaven as the Aphasia Center of West Texas returns for its annual signature fundraiser.
On Jan. 26, the annual Chocolate Decadence fundraiser returns for its 19th year.
The event is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
Patrons can enjoy an evening of not only unlimited chocolate goodies but also live music from the local band Current Nine, items to bid on at a silent and live auction, cocktails, a plated dinner and the addition of a dance floor this year.
The event will also have a slightly longer run time this year than in the past.
“We’re super excited about this year,” Aphasia Center of West Texas Executive Director Kitty Binek said. “We’ve changed things up a little bit. We got some feedback from people who said they wished the event went on a little bit longer. So this year, we have live music with Current Nine. We have a dance floor. What we’re going to do is extend the time that the event lasts … After the live auction the band is going to continue to play. We’ll continue on with a bit of an after party. So we’re excited about that this year.”
The event is one of the most crucial fundraisers that the Aphasia Center of West Texas does each year.
“It’s been helping support the Aphasia Center for years,” Binek said. “It’s an important night for us because traditionally, this event has raised anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of our annual operating budget. It’s a huge night for us. The Aphasia Center has gotten pretty dependant on this event. It helps keep the services of the center going throughout the year. It’s important to us. It’s a great way for us to spread awareness of aphasia. It’s a great way for us to educate the community of aphasia. That’s really important for us.”
The event used to take place at the Midland Horseshoe Arena before being moved over to the Marriott in Odessa.
In 2021, the event was held virtually due to the pandemic before returning to an in-person setting in 2022.
The event also used to take place in February (closer to Valentine’s Day) but was moved to January a couple of years ago due to the amount of events taking place elsewhere in February.
The fundraiser itself has stayed the same for the most part over the years.
Binek is excited about this year’s live music.
“We always have live music but to have a full nine-piece band will be great as well as the dance floor and after party,” Binek said. “We’ll still have the chocolate and leftover chocolate for people to take home.”
However, this year there will be a few different chocolates to try.
“We always try to offer one or two things that are a taste bud teaser,” Binek said “This year one of our featured items and it’s actually very good … it’s like a small dill pickle, wrapped in dark chocolate and pistachio nuts.”
Regular attendees need not panic as there will still be the traditional chocolate truffles provided as well as the chocolate martini.
“You can still have our traditional chocolate martini but we also have our white flake martini and it is made with white chocolate and it’s going to come with a souvenir snowflake charm around the wine glass,” Binek said. “We just added a few little touches this year.”
For more information about the Aphasia Center of West Texas, go to aphasiawtx.org.
If you go
- What: Chocolate Decadence.
- When: 6:15 p.m. Jan. 26.
- Where: Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
- Where to purchase tickets: aphasiawtx.org/cd24
