Purveyors of fine food, chocolates and beverages from across the Bay Area gather at the picturesque Mountain Winery each year for this event to dazzle and delight the palates of the hundreds of people in attendance. This year was no different, and the event was so successful it shattered a number of records.

What could be better than all that fine wine and beer, decadent chocolate and gourmet food? The fact that all of the proceeds benefit Social Advocates for Youth.

Social Advocates for Youth offers a range of education, counseling, psychotherapy, family support, job training, mentoring and substance abuse prevention services. It works closely with local communities and schools. Services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, a shelter for runaway and homeless youth that focuses on family reunification, a group home for abused or neglected teens, counseling, drug and alcohol prevention and education, youth employment services, street outreach and HIV education and more.

"[Rivers of Chocolate] was an outstanding success this year," says Bea Lopez, executive director of Social Advocates for Youth. "We think we're going to gross about $110,000, which is a record for us. Also, we had a sellout [a week before the event took place] with about 750 people there, which is a first for us." That total is up from the 450 who attended last year.

In fact, tickets were selling so quickly, Social Advocates for Youth and the Mountain Winery held the last 10 tickets they had and put them up for auction on eBay, earning a fair amount for each, Lopez says.

Lopez says a record number of food and chocolate purveyors attended this year--about 57 donated their culinary skills to the benefit--as well as 11 wineries and breweries. All in all, Lopez estimates the event was up about 25 percent over last year.

She said seeing how much all the attendees enjoyed themselves was another bonus.

"The food and the chocolate were wonderful," she says. "It was a beautiful day." She says chocolate fountains, chocolate martinis and loads of other tasty goodies truly made it a "savory event."

Lopez says this year's Rivers of Chocolate could not have been the success it was without the help of the record number of volunteers who donated their time.

"It's very much a community event," she says.

For more information on Social Advocates for Youth, visit www.socialadvocatesforyouth.org.