The funding power of chocolate

THE FUNDING POWER OF

The larger chocolate bars offered for sale by World’s Finest Chocolate are sold for $2 each. They come in a variety of flavors, including dark chocolate, almond and caramel.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Spirit of Geneva Lakes

Chocolate

World’s Finest Chocolate has become popular tool for local groups

by Sandra Landen Machaj

CORRESPONDENT

The name World’s Finest Chocolate is familiar to most of us as the product of one of the premier fund-raising programs, particularly popular with schools.

Many readers have probably sold World’s Finest Chocolates as fundraisers in their youth and may now be working with their children when World’s Finest Chocolate bars are the fundraiser chosen to support their school or extracurricular activities.

World’s Finest Chocolate began as a chocolate company founded in Chicago by Edmond Opler, Sr. around 1939. He originally named his new chocolate company, Cook Chocolate Company. By 1949, Opler had created a division of the company that produced high quality chocolate bars under the name World’s Finest Chocolate. These chocolate bars were so successful that the company changed its name to World’s Finest Chocolate in 1972.

When Edmond Opler, Sr. retired in 1988, his son, Edmond Opler, Jr., who had worked in the company for many years, became next in line to run the business. Today it is still run by the Opler family with the third generation in charge. Living up to its name

A company that chooses World’s Finest Chocolates as its name must be very proud of the quality of its product. And that’s certainly the case in this instance. To assure that their products are high quality and that their chocolate bars are consistent in taste and quality, company officials closely control the entire manufacturing process.

They source their cocoa beans from their own cocoa farm in St. Lucia to assure consistent quality. The recipe comes together to provide a rich and