Carla Clark | For The Republic A crowd gathers for the Always Ready for Chocolate event at The Commons in 2024.
The sweetest event of the year is right around the corner.
Always Ready for Chocolate, hosted by The Arc of Bartholomew County, is coming up on Feb. 7 at The Commons. The afternoon will be full of sweet treats from local vendors, music, creations by local artists and much more, all offered in support of The Arc and the work they do in protecting the rights of those with disabilities.
The event starts at noon and continues until 3 p.m. at The Commons. General admission is $25 for adults, $15 for children ages 3 to 12 and $55 for families. VIP tickets are also available. Tickets are available at the door or online at The Arc’s website.
Several vendors have already signed up to participate in this year’s event, and The Arc of Bartholomew County executive director Wendy Kirts says more are in the works. Vendors including Gramz Bakery, Sunny Daze Mobile Bar, DSI and Assisted Independence will be offering everything from donuts to cake pops to cookies.
“We always have reoccurring people, people love this event,” Kirts said. “People love to come to it, people love to participate in it.”
As Kirts believes they needed more beverages, she asked Gramz Bakery to sell and offer free samples of their coffee. Sunny Daze will also offer free samples of mocktails and fancy lemonades.
To bring more interactive experiences to the event, a cookie walk will be offered this year. Like a cake walk, people with a paid ticket will have the opportunity to win a miniature cookie bouquet if they stop on a certain number when the music stops.
“We did cookie bouquets for all our sponsors (last year) and put them on the sponsor tables and people just loved it,” Kirts said.
Music will be provided by the Amanda Webb Band, who will be playing throughout the entire event. The Shake Down Dancers team from The Arc of Jackson County will also perform, Kirts said.
“They have little pom poms and matching T-shirts and so much enthusiasm,” Kirts said. “They’re going to be great.”
Always Ready for Chocolate wouldn’t be complete without the art show, featuring works created by individuals with disabilities. For the past couple of weeks, The Arc has also been holding art classes for people with disabilities where they have been working on a decoupage art project that features local landmarks. These works will also be for sale at Always Ready for Chocolate.
“So we’re hoping to have more art available by people who made it and they get half of the proceeds and they give the other half to The Arc of Bartholomew County,” Kirts said. “We cover the costs for the making of the art so it’s a win-win for them. They come, they have pizza, they have cookies, they get to have fun times with their friends and they get to make some art.”
Local service providers and area resources will be available as well, such as the Bartholomew County Democratic Party who will be offering voter information. The Arc of Bartholomew County’s booth will have information to ensure people are aware of their rights, Kirts said.
“Sometimes when people have an intellectual or a developmental disability, they don’t understand their rights and that’s a big part of what we do at The Arc of Bartholomew County,” Kirts said. “So another thing I’m hoping to do this year is just to continue to bring about awareness and understanding and education for our community members who need that extra support.”
Those attending Always Ready for Chocolate can also pick up a newly-released resource guide, which Kirts said The Arc has been working on for several months after receiving a grant from Cummins. Always Ready for Chocolate will be the first event where it will be available.
For families and individuals with disabilities, the guide includes information on everything they need to know from birth until age 60, covering services they can sign up for, available programs, what intellectual and developmental disabilities are available and more.
“And it’s just going to be like a road map for their lives so that they know how to handle and navigate the systems that are in place for them, but they may not know anything about,” Kirts said. “So we’re super excited about that.”
Money raised from Always Ready for Chocolate will go back into operation costs and salaries that grants and donations do not cover. Kirts believes the afternoon is a great opportunity for people to slow down and relax with their friends, get some treats and listen to some great music, while at the same time benefiting a non-profit and making connections.
“My favorite thing about this event is the community connections that are created during an event like this,” Kirts said. “People come together, we have conversations, we build those connections, we open up opportunities for people who may otherwise be at home alone or otherwise disconnected from the community.”
