About Us

HOT CHOCOLICIOUS: CANADA’S HOT CHOCOLATE Festival is a NATIONAL initiative to raise money and much needed continued awareness of FOOD BANKS and their valued year ‘round importance on the front lines of HUNGER and HOMELESSNESS in our country. HUNGER and COLD do not make good bedfellows.

This is not where YOU or your loved ones want to be. For the thousands of hungry families and those lonely, hungry and out in the cold – this is one way to lend our support without straining our wallets while treating ourselves to a cup of “guilt-free” hot chocolate.

The reality of experiencing cold and hungry, no matter how well off you are, was no more evident than during the recent ice storms. Many areas of the country were hit hard with this reality as a result of tens of thousands of families having to spend Christmas without heat and FOOD for up to a week or more. Imagine this scenario playing itself out every day during the cold winter for many.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

This being our Pilot Project inaugural year, we hope to register approximately 5,000 participants over the next few years, generating more than a half million dollars in cash donations to help out more than 450 food banks across the country. That target amount could buy 12 million dollars or more worth of healthy food. As ambitious as this may sound, it is feasible with your support and that of the thousands of establishments across the country who serve any form of hot chocolate or hot cocoa during the winter months.

“Together – we can raise much needed funds for the food banks across the country – one cup of hot cocoa at a time!” – Joey Cee, Founder/Director

Our Involvement With Chocolate

We at JCO know Chocolate and have been working with it for more than eight years through events and festivals in Ontario which is home base for our productions. These include the Toronto Chocolate Festival, The Toronto Luxury Chocolate Show, Chocolate High Teas, ChocOlympics, 911 Chocolate Relay and the world renowned Chocolate Ball Gala events. Hot Chocolate is Canada’s unofficial national winter drink. With every region in Canada, under a cold spell from coast-to-coast throughout the winter months, it is an obvious decision for us to look at hot chocolate as the Mayans did – as liquid gold.

This is how chocolate started. As a hot drink for the privileged. We are now in the position to utilize hot cocoa to support the underprivileged and literally turn hot cocoa in to liquid goal for the food banks collectively.

Supporting the Food Banks

Raising money and awareness for the Food Banks and the work they do, was an easy choice for us. Since we had already been raising money for our Prostate and Breast Cancer Initiatives fund benefiting several organizations and hospitals, we felt it was time to help other deserving charities under our new Heart, Mind and Soul Initiative fund. The Food Banks will be the first to benefit from this new initiative.

About the Heart, Mind + Soul Initiative

Heart, Mind + Soul Initiatives is designed to help other charities through the majic of chocolate. HM+S will help organizations such as alzheimers, heart and stroke and mental illness by creating specific events that include chocolate.