Chocolate-covered donations to help kids stay safer

Kidpower knew the magic word: chocolate.

The sold-out Chocoholic Frolic on April 21 at Kissing Camels Club had enough mouth-watering milk, dark and white chocolate, bonbons, chocolate-dipped strawberries and pineapple, truffles, brownies, fudge and little cakes and chocolate-chunk cookies to more than satisfy all 325 sweet tooths.

Strolling through the club, nibbling a little of this and a little of that accompanied by sips of wine, the attendees helped the nonprofit that teaches kids the skills to protect themselves raise almost $50,000.

Even the "Chocolate Diva," emcee Lisa Lyden, dressed in black and white, couldn't resist a taste or two of the rich treats.

Richard Skorman, at the Rico's Coffee, Chocolate (of course) and Wine Bar table, enticed the chocolate-sated to try some cherry wine as a perfect accompaniment.

Weaving their way through the crowd were Alyssa Northam and Jourdan McGinn, daughters of board members Sheriff's Lt. Clif Northam and Leslie McGinn, and other Kidpower Teen Advisory Board members who sold even more chocolate -- gourmet chocolate bars with raffle numbers on the back.

Happily setting out on a two-floor search for the best chocolate were Lisa Phillips and Thomas Arnezeder; Charisma Pagan; Lucy Schneider; Cindy, Peter and Liam Aubrey; Danu Fatt; Marcy Connelly; Courtney Thornton; Dot Lischick; committee-chair Carol Gruen; and committee members Kenya Cruzat, Ashleigh Curry, Sherry Drew, Melanie Giron-Carpenter, Judy Gudvangen, Angela Hamilton, Kari Kilroy, Carla Lemmon, Diane Loschen, Linda Moyes, Sharon Orsund, Chris Park and Wynde Stinson.

GOODWILL ANNUAL DINNER

It was an evening of "Growing Goodwill" complete with spring flowers, daisy seeds to take home, stories of achievement and the announcement of retail gains and growth of rehabilitation and job programs for the disabled.

A crowd of 620 supporters filled The Broadmoor's Rocky Mountain Ballroom on April 25 to hear stories of success. Goodwill President/ CEO Bob Baker, board chair Phil Price and foundation board chair Ed Osborne shared that Goodwill continues to expand its presence, adding a retail center near Circle Drive and Janitell Road by 2008.

The nonprofit provided 47,454 services last year, using 88-plus cents of every dollar for that purpose. Jobs were found for 4,923 people and Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs ranked in the Top 10 of Goodwills nationwide for people placed in jobs, Price said.

Osbourne presented the foundation's Guiding Light Award to Steve and Susan Suggs, who have supported Goodwill for more than 24 years, serving on boards, volunteering and contributing to capital campaigns and fundraisers.

"My involvement with Goodwill has been the highlight of my philanthropic work in Colorado Springs," Susan said. "We love Goodwill. We love the mission."

Jason Hattaway and Jimmie Jaggers of Colorado Springs Fire Station 10 received the "Courageous Service Award" for their assistance to stranded disabled clients during the blizzard of 2006. Those honored with the "Extending Goodwill" award were El Paso County Department of Human Services, accepted by Barbara Drake with a limerick; Evans Army Community Hospital, where the 150 Goodwill workers handle 600,000 pounds of laundry each year; and Wal-Mart, thanked for rent-free space for attended donation centers which were visited by 51,000 people.

Danny Aragon was Goodwill's Achiever of the Year, Octavia Leslie its Community Employee of the Year, Ann Cruz the Independence Award winner and Wilson McCoy, 75, was winner of the Helms Legacy Award for moving into an executivelevel career after starting with Goodwill at 59 and going forward to oversee construction of a new retail center after surviving a heart attack and a stroke. Mc-Coy's daughters had flown in from other states to be there with their father.

Send items about nonprofit and charitable events to linda.navarro@gazette.com or mail to attn: Linda Navarro, P.O. Box 1779, Colorado Springs 80901.

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