It has been said that there is nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate. At the 11th Annual Chocolate Tasting sponsored by the Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park, set for 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Biden Center in the park, there will be many good friends with a variety of chocolates. There will be plenty for all and plenty of room to park. Park entry fees are in effect.

The tasting features chocolate candy and baked goods prepared by local volunteers. Admission of $6 includes six tastes. Additional tastes go for 50 cents apiece. There will also be a selection of fabulous chocolate baked goods to take home from the bake sale table for the perfect gift or family treat. Attendees should not bring their own containers.

Co-chairs Barbara Schmidt and Trish Baines say there will be two raffles this year. Various items and gift cards will be raffled with drawings to be held throughout the afternoon. Raffle tickets will sell for $1 each or six for $5. Also, chances are being sold for a weekend cottage at Delaware Seashore State Park. Tickets for this raffle are $5 each or 5 for $20. To purchase weekend cottage raffle tickets, call 443-289-1148. Ticket holders do not need to be present for the drawing.

A family visit to the park offers a wide array of activities to help work off that chocolate high. There are trails to suit every walker, and visitors can borrow bicycles at the Bike Barn and ride around the park. Children can enjoy hours of fun on the equipment in the new playground. The whole family can play disc golf on the course across the street from the playground. And of course, the beach beckons to all.

Funds raised at the event will go to replenish the Richard and Mirth Thatcher Education Fund. In this era of tight school budgets, teachers are finding it harder to finance their quality field trips to Cape Henlopen State Park where hands-on experiences with nature and history can be provided. To counter this trend, the Friends group supports the cost of transportation to bring Sussex County school groups to the educational programs conducted through the Seaside Nature Center.

The Friends of Cape Henlopen State park is a nonprofit organization made up of volunteers who donate their time to promote one of the crown jewels of Delaware's state parks. Members are strongly committed to public education about the park, and they believe that education leads to appreciation, conservation and preservation.

For more information, go to www.friendsofcapehenlopen.org.