On February 28th, an impressive number of locals gathered at the SPC campus to take part in the Empty Bowls event sponsored by the CAC Art Club and Culinary Arts Program. Empty Bowls is an event that has been held at the SPC campus for the last fourteen years, with all proceeds going to local food banks. For only $10, participants chose a bowl made by the Ceramics department, had it filled with soup, along with bread and dessert. Once they were finished with their food, the bowl was theirs to keep.

Despite the cloudy weather and the few raindrops that fell, everyone was in a cheerful mood and ready to pick a beautiful, handmade bowl and eat delicious soup all for charity. Marjon Inc. and Laguna Clay donated half of the clay used to create these bowls. This year, 515 bowls were set out for participants, each unique and one of a kind. People chattered happily amongst themselves as they picked bowls, many buying more than one! The visitors had a variety of different soups to choose from, including gluten-free options. In the end, Central Arizona College raised $4,955, with the proceeds being distributed to St. Vincent de Paul, Warehouse Food Pantry, and the Casa Grande Food Bank.

Thelma Wick, who came in a group of nine from Sunscape RV Resort, cumulatively bought 31 bowls! She went on to say, “This year we were pleasantly impressed with organization, set-up and welcoming atmosphere in the kitchen area. The addition of the bread bar, dessert and beverage stations was a welcome and delightful surprise.”

Empty Bowls was founded in 1990 by Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom. It’s described as a “grassroots” movement and has raised millions of dollars to aid in the fight against hunger. Not only do they help locally, but they also raise money for countries around the world as well.

If you missed this year’s event, just keep a look out for next years event! If you would like to contribute before then, you can always donate to your local food bank and help a family in need.