Artisans throughout the area are donating silent auction items in celebration of the 15th Annual Chocolate Dessert Buffet & Silent Auction sponsored by AIDS CARE/Hampshire County (AC/HC). This annual event is taking place on Sunday, November 16 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Northampton. With slightly more than three weeks to go before this annual fundraiser takes place, a sneak peek into the donations suggest this year might be the best ever. Some of the silent auction items this year include:

• a Josh Simpson hand blown glass original called “Otherworld” with a stand
• a 26-inch, 18-speed Schwinn suburban sport bike
• a desert sunrise torchiere floor lamp from the Salamander Glass Studio Collection
• a framed art piece called “Wage Peace” written by award-winning poet Judyth Hill. This is also illustrated by Mary Teichman, an award-winning illustrator
• an original Levy-LaRocque hand painted maiolica wall switch plate and
• a limited-edition handcrafted silver tree by award-winning artist Randy Adams. This piece is a handcrafted tree in copper wire plated with pure 99 percent silver mounted on Vermont slate.

New this year: some of the donated items can be seen online. Visit our auction web page for more information.

There are more than 60 premium chocolate desserts, cookies and cakes donated by local bakeries and restaurants in support of this event. Don’t be left out of this exciting annual event. Tickets are a requested $15 donation per person and can be purchased in advance or at the door. All proceeds benefit AIDS CARE/Hampshire County, a Northampton-based agency that provides comprehensive support for people living with HIV/AIDS in Hampshire County. AIDS CARE/Hampshire County is a program of Cooley Dickinson Hospital. For ticket information or more information about services, call (413) 586-8288.