2^nd Annual Chocolate Festival in Ventura County Benefits Children in Need While Celebrating Valentine’s Day and Everything Chocolate
Gold Coast Chocolate Festival to Be Held Feb. 10 and 11, 2007 at Ventura Fairgrounds

Ventura, CA – The Restoring Hope Foundation of Southern California, Inc (RHFSC) will present the second annual Gold Coast Chocolate Festival Feb. 10 and 11, 2007 at Seaside Park, at the Ventura Fairgrounds. The anticipated event will enable RHFSC to provide medical and humanitarian aid to children living in impoverished conditions, many of whom have suffered Chernobyl radioactive contamination and other life-threatening situations. Proceeds from the event will be used to send pediatricians and nurses to the former Soviet Union to medically treat these children, to train orphanage staff overseas, to provide basic necessities like diapers and food, and more. The goal is to help as many children in need as possible.

“What better way to open our hearts to children who need our help than by incorporating a Valentine’s Day theme and something everyone loves, chocolate,” said Steve Cagan, Executive Director of The Restoring Hope Foundation of Southern California, Inc. “I look forward to bringing the community together for this vital cause, while they enjoy the festival filled with fun activities, great gifts and lots of delicious food.”

Last year’s chocolate festival enabled the RHFSC to work with International Heart Foundation and Chernobyl Children's Project International to bring a surgical team to Russia and perform surgeries that saved 22 children’s lives! RHFSC is hoping that this year’s festival will help them save even more children. To further that end, RHFSC is seeking donors to sponsor infant heart surgeries for $1000 each.

The Ventura County Chocolate Festival will be held at Seaside Park, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura. Admission: General $7.00, Children (4 to 12) $5.00. Children 3 and under are free.

For more information, please e-mail RHFSC@saving-babies.com or call (805)409-5243.

Background Information: The Restoring Hope Foundation of Southern California, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization working to sponsor teams of pediatric/cardiology doctors and nurses to travel to the former Soviet Union to treat children with radiation-induced illnesses. These committed medical professionals volunteer to provide education, training, supplies and medication in an effort to maintain and, in some cases, to save the lives of children and their families in desperate need of specialized care and tutelage. To learn more about the organization and the cause, visit, www.rhfsc.org.

(Notes to media: To download a copy of this press release as a .pdf file click here. For more information on the festival, or the work and background of the Restoring Hope Foundation of Southern California, please contact Steve Cagan at by email RHFSC@saving-babies.com or phone (805)585-9750.)
 

Steve Cagan - Executive Director RHFSC