Home of Hope 15th Annual Chocolate Affair Promises to be Scrumdiddlyumtious

“In your wildest dreams you can not imagine the marvelous surprises that await you!” — Willy Wonka

Attention chocoholics and dessert lovers. Vinita’s sweetest event, the Home of Hope Chocolate Affair, returns Wednesday, March 2.

Willy Wonka is the theme for the 15th annual Scrumdiddlyumtious Chocolate Affair, which will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Home of Hope Administrative Building.

Due to Omicron, the tasty affair will once again be a drive-through event. However, organizers say the evening will feature the same sumptuous array of chocolate delights and sweet treats prepared by the same great vendors, as well as all the fun the Chocolate Affair has to offer.

Conceived last year as a way to hold the annual fundraiser even in the mask-wearing, social-distancing age of pandemic, the drive-through format proved to be very popular with attendees.

“We sold completely out of Chocolate Affair tickets last year,” said Shelby Stewart, Home of Hope marketing and development coordinator. “The drive-through gives a lot of people who previously couldn’t attend the Chocolate Affair for various reasons a way to participate. We’re thankful the community has been so supportive.”

The drive-through event allows everyone to safely maintain their distance without missing out on any of the fabulous food and fun. Attendees will pull in off Highway 66 and come through the first entrance of the Home of Hope’s Administrative Building at 226 W. Dwain Willis Ave.

Tickets will be taken and attendees will then be directed to the pickup area in front of the building where each attendee will receive their goody box or boxes, depending on how many tickets were purchased.

Free Double-Feature Movie Screening

Keeping with the Willy Wonka theme, this year’s Chocolate Affair will also include a free double-feature screening of the classic 1971 film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

Everyone is invited to join organizers on the front lawn of the administrative building to watch the two movies. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended and welcomed, as well as coats and gloves, if needed.

Free popcorn will be provided by Home of Hope for those watching the movies. The Coffee Shelter, featuring Keagan's Coffee by Keagan Green, will have warm beverages available for purchase as well.

Keep an eye out for special guests during the movies. Rumor has it that Willy Wonka himself might make an appearance.

CDC guidelines will be followed throughout the event. All participants must wear a mask to enter and it must be worn throughout the drive-through. Participants will also remain in their vehicle throughout the event.

For those watching the movie screening, participants will be encouraged to wear masks and use the provided hand sanitizer during the event. Social distancing will also be in place.

Delectable Sweets

A dessert lover’s dream, the Chocolate Affair always features a selection of delectable sweets prepared by a number of the finest restaurants, caterers, speciality shops and wineries in Vinita and the Grand Lake area. In past years, vendors provided delicious samples of chocolate and other tasty treats to attendees.

Because this year’s much-anticipated annual chocolate tasting event is a drive-through, an array of goodies, including chocolate delights and other food items, will be assembled in a special, pre-packaged treat box and given to attendees to take with them.

The list of menu items includes s'mores trail mix from Centsible Spending, smoked peach cobbler from the Home of Hope Vocational Department, cake balls from Honey Bee's Home Baked Goods, marshmallow chocolate poke cake from Integris Vinita, double chocolate brownies from Lighthouse Restaurant and Stuff'ns Cafe, cocoa bombs from Mayes Home Health, chocolate-covered pecans from Miller Pecan Company, chocolate cookies from Shangri-La Resort, chocolate cake from The Artichoke, vegan avocado chocolate muffins and banana chocolate chip muffins from The Coffee Shelter and an FFA snack mix from the Vinita FFA.

Online Silent Auction

In keeping with the event's socially distanced approach, the Scrumdiddlyumtious Chocolate Affair silent auction is once again being held online.

Organizers have collected some stand-out items for this year's silent auction, including a Beef Bundle provided by Six E Cattle Company, a “Skip the Dishes” Dine Around Bundle featuring gift cards to six different Vinita restaurants, a Kate Spade wallet, fitness packages and more.

Items will continue to be added to the silent auction so check back often to see what else you would like to bid on.

The silent auction went live at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Bidding closes at noon on the day of the event.

Stewart advises bidders to watch out for overtime bidding. If two people are bidding on an item when the auction closes, the auction of that item will be extended to let them continue bidding in real time.

Silent auction winners will be notified immediately once the auction ends. They will be able to pay online and pick up their items during the Chocolate Affair drive-through event in a separate silent auction lane or during business hours at the Home of Hope Administrative office.

Contact Shelby Stewart, Home of Hope marketing and development coordinator, at (918) 256-7825 ext. 168, with any questions pertaining to the silent auction.

Unlike a visit to Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory, you don’t need a golden ticket to get to attend the Home of Hope 15th annual Scrumdiddlyumtious Chocolate Affair.

Advance tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at these locations in Vinita: Clanton’s Cafe, Lucille’s Flowers & Gifts, the Vinita Daily Journal and Centsible Spending.

Tickets will be $20 at the drive-through on the night of the event, if there are any still available.

Due to the popularity of the event, organizers encourage anyone interested in attending to purchase their tickets early and not wait until the event. At least 25 percent of the tickets have already been sold and once the tickets are sold out, that’s it, there will be no more available.

If tickets do sell out in advance, Home of Hope will post the information on its Facebook page. You’ll also find sneak peeks of the treat selections, event updates and other information.

The Chocolate Affair is an annual fundraiser for Home of Hope, a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides residential, vocational and quality of life programs to persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities across northeast Oklahoma.

Established in 1968, Home of Hope Inc. has operations in Vinita, Jay, Miami, Claremore, Grove and Pryor. In addition to serving more than 270 men and women with developmental and other disabilities, Home of Hope employs more than 600 staff members.

If you would like to be a part of the Chocolate Affair, sponsorships are still available. Click here for forms and information.

Organizers are also still accepting silent auction donations and will pick up items. To make a donation, call or text Shelby Stewart at (918) 418-9538.

Donations can also be sent to Chocolate Affair c/o Home of Hope, Inc., P.O. Box 903, Vinita, OK 74301. All donations are tax deductible as allowable by the Internal Revenue Service. Receipts will be provided.

For event and ticket information, call (918) 236-0212 or email shelby.stewart@homeofhope.com.