More than 200 chocolate lovers purchased tickets at $100 each to bid on and sample elegant chocolate creations, from cakes to fudge to cocoa-powered martinis. It was all in the good name of Project HELP, Naples' community crisis center which has been providing free 24-hour-emergency crisis response and referrals through its hotline since 1986.

On hand to add oomph to the gala were auctioneer/emcee/ WINK TV personality Trey Radel, and Norma Miller, a comic actress known for her "Sanford and Son" TV role. Bella Gutshstein and Boris Sandler provided musical ambience with classical violin and keyboard.

The event opened with savories created by Roger Arbury and Victor Kenyon from You've Got it Coming catering, including, of course, chocolate brownies. Bartenders served up refreshments that included potent chocolate martinis specially concocted by Ice Magic owner Dave Calandra; they flowed through a large ice sculpture into actual ice goblets.

Stars of the evening were chocolatiers from the local restaurants, clubs and hotels donating specialty cakes and diverse chocolate presentations for the live auction.

Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort pastry chef Brenda Ryan created and donated a dramatic showpiece: a fully edible, multi-component "sculpture" of both dark and white Swiss chocolate. Its brilliantly colored chocolate roses were a stark contrast to the deeply magenta-tinted frosting. And if that wasn't enough, she also provided a chocolate show cake with a raspberry middle layer. Both were quickly snapped up during the live auction.

Chardonnay Restaurant pastry chef Robert Angell attracted eager tasters for his sample truffles of dark chocolate, coconut, hazelnut and passion fruit. Angell, who has been with the restaurant since its inception and has participated in all Project HELP's annual chocolate events, learned his craft of hand-scooping and rolling the truffles from White House pastry chef Albert Kumin.

Angell decorated serving platters with white chocolate spangles and triangles embedded with colorful accents. He also contributed several truffle-filled white-chocolate boxes for auction.

Laurie Rose, Olde Naples Chocolate owner, arrived bearing her piece de resistance, an edible heart-shaped box created of chocolate lace and filled with truffles.

Bha Bha proprietor Michael Mir contributed a flourless chocolate cake with a crunchy, cardamon-accented bottom "crust" that quickly went at auction. He had frosted it in quadrants, with fresh raspberries and pomegranate seeds alternately decorating the quarters.

Killer Fudge, adjacent to Royal Scoop in Bonita Springs, is the brainchild of self-trained chocolatier Gina Lucia, who showed up with massive sampler trays of chocolate-walnut fudge.

Chef-owner Danny Mellman of the Bonita Bistro appeared with a huge two-layer cake of rich Belgian chocolate with fudge icing. It was presented with chocolate and vanilla sauces with walnut garnish and heaped with strawberries.

"Just like grandma makes cakes — and best with a great big glass of very cold milk!" the restaurateur exclaimed.

And sure enough, a pitcher of milk and glasses accompanied his live auction donation.

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