Champagne & Chocolate!
Champagne, Chocolate, and Cars!
Sunday, February 25, 2024, 3:00-5:00 PM
16055 North Dial Boulevard, Scottsdale
$100 presale tickets / $125 at the door / adults only
Dress: Semi-formal; “Roaring 20s” vintage dress optional
CES is privileged to have our annual Champagne and Chocolate benefit hosted among the stunning car collection of Janet Cussler! Enjoy champagne, chocolate, and finger foods while strolling through the amazing personal vintage car collection of Janet and her husband, famed best-selling author Clive Cussler. Their shared love of vintage automobiles resulted in this amazing assemblage of rare and vintage vehicles from all over the world - plus a couple of fire engines and a plane!
The Janet Cussler Car Collection is a timeless vault of vintage autos in an art-deco, speakeasy-style environment, exuding old-world charm and high-profile sophistication. Attendees are invited to wear “Roaring 20s” vintage dress (optional) as they stroll among the vehicle displays, while sipping champagne and listening to the live music provided by the Carolyn Eynon Singers - a bit of a teaser for their March and May concerts!
Guests will have a range of spectacular items to bid on in our silent auction ... along with some premium favored golden tickets for golden raffle items! See below for a sneak peek at our auction offerings - check back here often to see what’s new!
If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please look over our sponsorship prospectus and get in touch!
All proceeds will benefit the choir. This venue allows adults only.
Auction Preview
Current auction total: $19,025
Here’s a sneak peek at what we have in our silent auction, with lots more goodies coming in every day!
7 days / 2 people / 5-star luxury photo safari $11,000 fair market value Seven-day luxury African photo safari for two to Victoria Falls in Africa. Includes three nights at The Wallow Lodge (Zimbabwe) and three nights at the Chobe Elephant Camp (Botswana). In addition to multiple safari game drives to view and photograph wildlife from the comfort of a 4x4 open-sided vehicle, winners receive a guided tour of Victoria Falls and the rainforest, and a visit to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust. Enjoy 5-star service of imported wines and spirits with gourmet hot & cold canapés during a premium two-hour guided sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River and later, a beautiful sundowner experience on the rim of the Batoka Gorge, where the Zambezi Rapids rage 120 meters below. Other experiences include a canoe excursion along the Chobe floodplain, a relaxing scenic boat cruise, and a visit to the local village including the school, clinic, basket weavers, and crafts shop.
3 nights / 2 people / historic Arizona dude ranch $2,400 fair market value Experience one of the most historic properties in the west and an easy drive from Tucson or Tubac. INCLUDES: - Lodging for 3 nights for 2 guests (additional guests may be added at a per person cost) - Daily meals - Horseback riding - Guided off-road tours - Fat-tire electric bike tours - Sport shooting & archery Enjoy a scenic horseback ride on trails frequented by US Presidents and legendary figures like Pancho Villa. Relax in the room where Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell stayed and the house where the Marshall Plan was drafted. Learn to sort cattle as ranchers have for generations. Explore Native American ruins, the US-Mexico border or the neighboring 120,000 acres of Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge by off-road vehicle. Enjoy a cool drink in our cantina, the oldest continually used building in the state of Arizona. Retreat to the hacienda to relax in rich southwestern color and culture. All rooms have fireplaces, heat, AC, and private bathroom.
7 nights / family of 4 / near Florida theme parks $1,800 fair market value Enjoy seven nights for up to four guests at Vacation Village at Parkway! Minutes from Orlando’s theme parks, including Magic Kingdom Park, Universal Studios Florida, and SeaWorld Orlando, the resort offers spacious accommodations. After a full day enjoying the theme park capital of the world, you’ll be ready to return to your spacious, well-appointed one-bedroom suite which includes kitchen, living room, and dining room, or in the resort, with seven heated pools and seven hot tubs, three nature trails, and 22 barbecue grills, plus fitness center, concierge desk, and two arcades. INCLUDES: - 7 nights at Vacation Village at Parkway in a one-bedroom suite - All resort fees
Hot air balloon rides $700 fair market value Hot air balloon flight for two, plus Rainbow Ryders swag: two decorated water bottles, two shirts, two tote bags, two enamel pins
CES swag! $400 fair market value Season tickets (2) for 2024-25, Champagne & Chocolate tickets (2) for 2024-25, CES wineglasses (2), CES embroidered hat (1)
Professional family research
$320 fair market value
Hosted tour and wine tasting $300 fair market value Wine tasting flight for 4 to 6, which includes a hosted tour with "Why Arizona Wines" and "You Think You Know How to Drink Wine Do You?" Choose your tasting room in either Cottonwood or Willcox.
Basket of items from AZ Highways gift shop
$300 fair market value
Charity Works
2-night stay in Las Vegas or Orlando $299 fair market value Free gift for each guest who donates or purchases at least $50 at the event!
North Scottsdale rock climbing gym $250 fair market value One-month family membership.
Multi-restaurant gift card $200 fair market value Good at any location: Cake Nightclub, Clubhouse @ Maya, Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row, The District, Farm & Craft, El Hefe, Hand Cut Chophouse, Seven @ Caesar's Hotel, Riot House
Athletic gear from U of A
$200 fair market value
Two premium-seating season tickets for 2024-25
$160 fair market value
Restaurant gift card
$150 fair market value
VIP membership for every CES guest!
$99 fair market value
General admission for 4, single day
$90 fair market value
Golf for two players $80 fair market value One round of golf for two players at Emerald Isle Golf Course in Oceanside, CA, in between San Diego and Los Angeles and minutes from the beach. Championship quality greens, all-grass driving range, game practice area, all on “North County’s Most Challenging Executive Course.”
Lux wine tasting for up to 4 persons
$52 fair market value
Lux wine tasting for up to 4 persons
$52 fair market value
One-of-a-kind unique design pillbox hat $55 fair market value Chocolate brown satin braid pillbox hat, a unique design created especially for our Champagne and Chocolate event by Ernestine Pennamon of Crown Creations.
Two Scottsdale locations
$50 fair market value
Help Us With an In-kind Donation!
Your in-kind donation of gift certificates, merchandise, or services for our silent auction, or your monetary donation toward our event expenses, would be greatly appreciated. Even a small donation can make a huge impact! In exchange for your generous donation, you will receive excellent community exposure and advertising, beginning with getting your donation featured on this page!
If you have something you’d like to donate for our silent auction, please review our In-Kind Donation page.
Thank you for your support!