Sold out Empty Bowls benefit tonight
One of Rome’s more popular annual events is once again a sellout.
The Rome and Floyd County Empty Bowls 16th annual benefit offered 300 tickets to the public, a supply that sold out over a week ago.
This year’s Empty Bowls event will take place tonight from 5-7 p.m. at the Rome Civic Center, 400 Civic Center Drive, where attendees will enjoy a soup and salad dinner and get to take home a bowl created by a local potter.
The River City Ramblers will also be on hand to provide music for patrons.
“We have a really dedicated following of people who come to the event each year,” said local potter Lisa Ingram, one of the event’s organizers. “We’re really grateful that it always sells out.”
Pieces were donated by 24 different individuals and organizations to make this year’s event possible, as well as food from 16 different local restaurants.
Event T-shirts will be on sale this year for $15 — a first for Empty Bowls — and a silent auction will take place for a large, covered casserole dish made by Tesa DuPre. DuPre was a founding potter of the event. The piece, donated by Jeri Jankovsky, is especially interesting due to the fact that DuPre is no longer active in making pottery, Ingram said.
Ticketholders who bring a canned good will
get an entry to the raffle for a piece of pottery made by Berry College Ceramics Professor Dennis Ritter and Grace Tessein. Additional entries can be purchased for $1 each.
Since 2003, more than $100,000 has been raised by the 15 previous local Empty Bowls events with funds benefiting the William S. Davies Shelter, Hospitality House and Rome Action Ministries.
“We always donate to a local charity,” Ingram said, adding that this year the goal is $10,000.
All proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to the Hospitality House for Women. Last year’s event raised more than $9,000.