Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and for those who haven’t quite settled on that perfect gift for the sweetie – there’s a chance to be a chocolate hero and to help others at the same time.
This year’s Chocolate Decadence “Mad Hatter Tea Party” fundraiser benefits, as always, the Aphasia Center of West Texas. The event is not only an evening of indulgence in decadent desserts and all things chocolate but also a chance to help fund the nonprofit.
The annual event funds about 40 percent of the Aphasia Center’s annual budget. This year’s event begins at 6 p.m. Feb. 8 at Midland’s Horseshoe Arena. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. is a cocktail and savories hour and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. is party time.
The presenting sponsor is Concho Resources and the Aphasia Center West Texas staff promises to satisfy the sweet tooth for a good cause.
The proceeds go to benefit stroke survivors at the Aphasia Center of West Texas, this region’s resource helping survivors communicate and live life again.
“We are proud to endorse the Aphasia Center and support the life-changing services they provide to stroke victims and their families. We hope you will join us at this fun event for a worthy cause. Together, we can ensure the future of this important resource here in West Texas,” Chairman and CEO of Concho Resources Tim Leach said in a statement.
About one in every 250 people in the Permian Basin faces the daily misperceptions and challenges of navigating life with aphasia. As the second independent aphasia center in North America, the Aphasia Center of West Texas is a flagship service of Texas helping stroke survivors (and their families) with new strategies to cope with a reduction in speaking, reading, and writing.
The Center connects people who know what they want to say but cannot get the words out with the education, peers and adaptive environment needed to access life’s interactions again.
The Aphasia Center of West Texas began with a small group of adults – previously active people, who as a result of stroke, acquired aphasia. Even though they knew exactly what they wanted to say, they could not state their most basic need or reliably state their own names. At ages 51, 52, and 70, all had been discharged from traditional speech therapy. Fundraising began in 2001 and by 2003 a board was formed.
The Aphasia Center of West Texas is now a safe place for area residents to access a network of support and learn aphasia communication strategies plus practical tips that lessen the daily frustration of living with aphasia. The model is not medical but rather a life participation approach to overcoming communication barriers caused by aphasia.
