Aux Petits Delices Announces Annual Chocolate Bunny Raffle to Raise Funds for Doctors Without Borders

Aux Petits Delices (“…the small delights”) French patisserie is pleased to announce Bunnies Without Borders, its annual tradition that supports Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. Aux Petits Delices acclaimed pastry chef Patrick Gauthron is passionate about MSF’s mission and, through the patisserie’s annual chocolate bunny raffle, Bunnies Without Borders, makes it his goal each year to raise awareness for the important role that this humanitarian group plays across the globe.

“The doctors, nurses, and other experts and professionals from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières are working together to deliver quality medical care to people in need regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation,” said Chef Gauthron, founder/owner of Aux Petits Delices. “In a fortunate city like ours, where we are surrounded by hospitals and have access to world-class clinicians and unparalleled technology, it should be our shared vision to support this independent organization that is helping to deliver care to our neediest, most at-risk brothers and sisters across the globe.”

As Aux Petits Delices prepares its Easter season menu for its loyal customers throughout the region, the Bunnies Without Borders raffle to support MSF is a cornerstone of the season and has become a Main Line institution. Each year, many customers make it a tradition to visit the store to purchase raffle tickets for Chef Gauthron’s impressive two-and-a-half-foot-tall hand-crafted French chocolate bunny. The bunny, named Jeannot Lapin (the Peter Rabbit of France), is found on display through the duration of the raffle in the front window of Aux Petits Delices.

This year, Jeannot Lapin will be completed on March 25th, at which point Bunnies Without Borders raffle tickets will go on sale and Jeannot will take his rightful place in the front window of the store until the drawing is conducted on Friday, April 22nd at 3 p.m. Last year, Aux Petits Delices raised $580 in its Bunny Without Borders Raffle, with a goal for the 2011 season to double the total funds raised last year.

The raffle opens March 25th and tickets are available for $2 each or $5 for a pack of three. Chef Gauthron and the Aux Petits Delices team encourage the community to participate in this important fundraising activity as well as take a moment to reflect on the important mission of MSF to help care for those much less fortunate in the world.

MSF operates independently of any political, military, or religious agendas. On any one day, more than 27,000 MSF workers from countries around the world are helping people caught in crises. The key to MSF’s ability to act independently in response to a crisis is its independent funding, towards which local community awareness and activities can make a positive impact.

On the first Friday evening of every month, many shops in Wayne open their doors for fun activities, exhibits and promotions as visitors wander around the neighborhood. Aux Petits Delices invites neighbors to visit the French patisserie for April First Friday, held Friday, April 1st, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Aux Petits Delices is participating on the first Friday in April in order to give neighbors a taste of its delectable offerings and to showcase this year’s Bunnies Without Borders raffle to benefit MSF.

About Aux Petits Delices

Aux Petits Delices (“the small delights”) is a French patisserie in the heart of Wayne, Pa., that has been delighting discriminating customers with French pastries, handcrafted chocolates, award-winning cakes, and delectable sorbets and gelatos for more than two decades. Acclaimed pastry chef Patrick Gauthron has been cultivating his craft since the age of 14, when he served as a baker’s apprentice in his native Burgundy region in France. In 1979, Gauthron came to the United States to serve as Pastry Chef in Georges Perrier’s renowned Philadelphia restaurant, Le Bec-Fin. After six years there, he established Aux Petits Delices in Wayne in 1987. In addition to its full line of cakes, pastries, and chocolates, Aux Petits Delices also offers a comprehensive gluten-free menu for the wheat-intolerant. Visit www.auxpetits.com and friend Aux Petits Delices on Facebook today.