Her Heart is in This Chocolate Walk

Mary Jo Conley at 2016 Chocolate Walk
Sisters and Brothers in Chocolate, help me welcome Mary Jo Conley to our blog today. Mary Jo is of the many volunteers who help the charity event run smoothly every years. She was kind enough to answer some questions about The Brown County Humane Society's Chocolate Walk that we help promote every year. If you don't have your tickets, you might still be able to get them here but I can't promise that since they sell out every year.

Thank you for talking with us, Mary Jo.

I'm happy to do so.  I really do love this event!

Mary Jo, by my calculations, the Chocolate Walk started in 2008. Did you start off as a participant, a "walker" at the event, or have you always been part of the Humane Society in Brown County?

I've been a volunteer for the Brown County Humane Society for about 25 years.  Most of that was for fund-raising. I was lured to the CW committee with the promise of chocolate and wine --the perfect incentives. 

How many years have you been helping the event out?

For eight yrs

What is your role in organizing the Chocolate Walk?
 
This is definitely a group effort.  Our committee of 5 solicit restaurants, shops,  and chocolatiers to participate.  We then gather biographies, solicit sponsors and work with Town and County officials for required licenses.   

We all help promote the event with flyers, newspapers, and radio. A past committee member still helps with booklet lay-out and design,  Another Shelter employee solicits and organizes the over 70 volunteers needed to make this great event run smoothly.

Do you yourself had a pet? If so, did you happen to get it through the Brown County Humane Society?

My husband and I have 2 dogs from the Brown County shelter and are also foster parents. We started fostering when we retired and found it to be a great way to fill our "empty nest:".

Mary Jo Conley and Crystal Jeffries
What is your favorite aspect of The Chocolate Walk?

The atmosphere!  So many happy people and dogs.  Dogs are welcome in our little town and all participating shops are marked in the booklet whether or not the establishment welcomes pets.

We have a lot of returning participants and some groups have even made shirts announcing where they are from and how many yrs they have attended!

If there was one thing you could change about The Chocolate Walk,what would it be?

I would like to be able to order perfect weather.

Finally, our most important question for The Chocolate Cult. Do you like chocolate? Do you have a preference for white, milk, or dark chocolate?

YES! Dark...then we call it health food.

Thank you, Mary, for talking with us all today.

Readers, if you have any questions about the Brown County Humane Society Chocolate Walk, please leave a comment and ask. Perhaps someone from the event will answer you!

Note: you can find our interview with Crystal Jeffries here.

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