COPPERAS COVE, Texas — Copperas Cove ISD is hosting their first chocolate fantasia event, just in time for Valentine's Day and it benefits students with autism.
It's the work of fourth grader Romella Spitzer, through her title as Preteen Miss Five Hills.
"The money is going to sensory equipment for students who have autism, and kids who have parents that are in the military, and for all kinds of kids who have behavioral problems," Spitzer said.
She selected the service project in honor of her sister, Samantha, who has autism and she wants to help other students like her.
"When they go into that sensory classroom they can calm down and actually relax and go back into the classroom and actually learn," Spitzer said.
At the event, everyone can enjoy a dozen different chocolate treats created by Copperas Cove ISD culinary art students as well as artwork by special education students.
"Romella raised all of the money from her lemonade stand that covered the cost of paint and the canvases and things that our special education students needed to prepare the artwork," Wendy Sledd said, the district's director of communication.
Spitzer said she's passionate about helping others and while she hopes people have a good time at Chocolate Fantasia, her true purpose for the event is to shed a light on autism.
"I chose this autism awareness because autistic people don't have the chance to do things that they really want to do," Spitzer said. "They can see that autistic people are not just people who don't speak or anything, they can do things, they can do things that normal people can do like paint and all that."
Chocolate Fantasia is on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.mm at the Copperas Cove Civic Center.
You can purchase tickets through eventbrite, click here.