Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Empty Bowls will help fill plates
Eight potters of The Clay Studio at Wishing Springs in Bella Vista have joined forces to handcraft more than 500 bowls available for purchase at today’s inaugural Benton County Empty Bowls event. Taking place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Theodore’s Episcopal Church in Bella Vista, the event will offer guests a bowl to keep and a chance to enjoy more than half a dozen soups for lunch or dinner for a minimum donation of $20. Proceeds benefit Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.
Roz Ramey, potter and publicity chairwoman, said the group of potters is excited to do this first event, particularly since the studio only opened in April.
The planned menu includes chicken soup from Duffer’s Cafe; chicken tortilla soup from Las Fajitas; vegetable beef; squash, barley and chicken; pasta e fagiole; chili and veggie chili.
Bowls have been on sale at the studio and will be available at the fundraiser. Guests who have already purchased bowls should bring their receipt for admission
and may bring their bowl. Ramey said there will be dishwashers on hand, so guests go home with clean bowls.
“The event was initiated by a Michigan school teacher John Hartom and his wife Lisa Blackburn in the 1990s, challenging his students to make 120 bowls to serve soup and feed the hungry in the community,” according to Ramey. “It has spread across the country and remained to date an individual community event coast to coast in the United States, also worldwide.”