Chocolate lovers venture out in a snowstorm for sweet treats

Chocolate is one of the few things that could get 100 people out to Columbian Presbyterian Church during a Saturday snowstorm.

Tom Redmore, an elder at Columbian Presbyterian Church in LaFayette, started A Taste of Chocolate six years ago after trying to come up with a new fundraising idea and seeing how much money people spent on Valentine’s Day every year.

Photo: Danielle Gehman

Homemade chocolate chip raspberry bars.

“I had seen somewhere there was a chocolate fest, but then I saw Taste of Syracuse and Taste of Baldwinsville, so I wanted to go with that idea (of) food sampling,” Redmore said.

Homemade sweets were spread across the tables, including chocolate-covered Oreos, brownies, cookies and too many varieties of truffles to count. A constant flow of people made their rounds, checking out the candies and filling their custom-made boxes. Volunteers of all ages stood behind the tables wearing gloves, ready to put chocolates into boxes.

For 50 cents a ticket, or $10 for 22, patrons can walk around to exchange tickets for treats. (One ticket for one chocolate.)

Redmore said half of the proceeds go to the general church fund and the other half goes to LaFayette Outreach, a nonprofit organization that provides food and other services to people who need them in Onondaga County.

“I just encourage people to volunteer, and these are very giving people at this church, and they love baking and making treats,” Redmore said. “This year was amazing, it worked out great.”

Redmore said that they’ve raised about $1,500 in the past and that he doesn’t plan to stop raising money any time soon.

“Why do people come here?” Redmore asked. “When you say chocolate, everyone lights up. It’s a fun way to get everyone interested.”

A Taste of Chocolate takes place every year around Valentine’s Day at Columbian Presbyterian Church on the corner of Routes 11 and 20 in LaFayette.