Heart of America Tastes Sweet, Sweet Charity; Co Co. Sala's Katie Musser Takes The Cake!

Be sure to check out all of our photographs from this event HERE and tell us what you were wearing that night!

SOUTHWEST -- Fashion and food for literacy is a simplified way of describing The Heart of America Foundation's and Albert Uster Imports' annual Sweet Charity event.

Now in its ninth year, the 2010 Sweet Charity celebration was held inside the sumptuous ballrooms of the popular Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. on Monday night.

Guests were invited to enter the hotel through an exclusive red carpet lined with larger-than-life-sized photographs of edible costumes created for Sweet Charity events of years past.

Once inside, they were literally treated to room after room of "tasting stations" set up by participating restaurants from all around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Co Co. Sala, BLT Steak, BRABO, Bourbon Steak, Chef Geoff's Downtown, and Adour were just a handful of the participants that numbered more than 40 overall.

A martini bar and lounge had also been set up thanks to donations by Patron Vodka and Hammer + Sickle, and attendees were also free to bid on any of the myriad of silent auction items that had been arranged for the evening, including an autographed D.C. United soccer ball, autographed Capitals hockey sticks, and a signed Redskins jersey by safety LaRon Landry.

Indeed, a great deal of the magic of the event as described by Bill and Angie Halamandaris, co-founders of The Heart of America Foundation, stems from the fact that every aspect of the evening reflected a gift of some sort -- be it a gift of time, talent or resources. Every delicacy consumed, every drink toasted, the staging, lighting, models, and even the venue space itself were all donated in some respect by Sweet Charity's many generous supporters.

After everyone's appetite had been satisfied, all eyes turned to the backlit catwalk that had been set up in the center of the hotel's Grand Ballroom. ABC 7's Leon Harris and NewsChannel 8's Courtney Robinson were the night's Masters of Ceremony and they masterfully guided the audience through a series of welcoming speeches.

The evening also served as a platform through which a variety of outstanding area residents could be recognized:

Wayne Ryan, principal of the District's Crosby S. Noyes Elementary School, received the Principal of the Year Award.
Spike Mendelsohn, head chef at Good Stuff Eatery and a recent contestant on Bravo TV's Top Chef, was chosen as the Albert Uster Chef of the Year Award recepient.
Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D., the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, was honored with the National Heroes of the Heart Award.

And with the honors portions of the program completed, the central attraction of each Sweet Charity event -- the Des Alpes Chocolate Fashion Show -- was finally ready to begin!

The theme for 2010 was "Literacy on the Silver Screen" and the contestants clearly embraced the task of each coming-up with a corresponding edible outfit with both skill and humor.

Ultimately though, Co Co. Sala's Katie Musser was crowned the winner of this year's runway show with a Cruella de Vil-inspired chocolate-covered dress, matching chocolate waist belt, and fur stole lined at the edge with small individual balls of chocolate. Her creation was modeled by Miss District of Columbia 2009, Jennifer Corey.

Other equally inventive (and tasty) outfits included a stunning Chronicles of Narnia-inspired White Witch Dress, a colorful Confessions of a Shopaholic summer dress, a naughty Moulin Rouge period piece, and a skirt/jacket combination inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (complete with chocolate purse and chocolate birds!).

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't also mention the gorgeous red gown decorated with chocolate accents and sugar beads and a towering white cake hat that Miss Sweet Charity herself wore (as modeled by the always gracious Kate Michael), courtesy of Albert Uster Imports' Corporate Pastry Chef, Andrew Logan, and Assistant Corporate Pastry Chef, Briea Nathan.

There's only 10 months to the next Sweet Charity event. Better start fasting!