Staff Reports
COVID-19 has taken many events and celebrations off the calendar, but the Brown County Humane Society Chocolate Walk is not one of them.
Chocolate Walk organizers have received approval from the Brown County Health Department to go forward with their event plans for downtown Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 14, with a few changes.
For one, the headquarters of the event has moved to The Salvation Army on South Jefferson Street. This is where tickets can be picked up in advance on Friday night, Nov. 13. Tickets also can be mailed for an extra charge.
“We hope this will significantly reduce the number of people in line on Saturday morning,” explained committee member Mary Jo Conley.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 14.
Guests will be strongly recommended to wear face coverings while participating in the Chocolate Walk, which takes them in and out of 33 local businesses to collect chocolate treats.
The walk is a major fundraiser for the Brown County Humane Society, which has been sheltering homeless animals for 54 years.
It costs $32,000 per month to run the shelter, and the tax dollars it receives don’t come anywhere close to covering the bills. Volunteers and donations help keep it running, with about 60 percent of the revenue coming from donors and grants.
For the past 11 years, the society has maintained a more than 95-percent “save” rate for pets that arrive at its shelter.
Tickets are still available for the Chocolate Walk, which is unusual this close to the event. “Our ticket sales are down, which was expected,” Conley said.
Tickets can be purchased at bchumane.org/chocolate-walk. They cost $25 per person until Oct. 31 and rise to $30 after that date.
All ticketholders will get an email about three days before the event, asking several COVID-19 self-screening questions. If they answer “yes” to any, they will not be permitted to attend the Chocolate Walk, Conley said. In addition, reminders will be given about the need for social distancing, increased handwashing/sanitizing and the strong recommendation of face coverings.
In addition to 33 different chocolate treats, Chocolate Walkers receive discounts at certain participating stores; get to ride the Nashville Express “train” for free to designated stops; and can put in votes for up to three chocolate stations to win awards in taste, creativity or presentation.
Food vendors from local nonprofits will be set up on the courthouse lawn, including Hamblen Township Volunteer Fire Department and Tri Kappa, Phi Chapter of Nashville.
