Tomorrow, March 13, marks 27 years of Empty Bowls, an event that brings local talent together to raise funds for nonprofits assisting people in need of food across the region. Seize this opportunity to make a real difference – come support your community by choosing from over 800 hand-made bowls and enjoying soup, bread, and desserts!
Be part of the solution: Join your neighbors and community at Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU), 5817 Wesleyan Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm EST. When you help at this event hosted by the Ceramic Designers Association (CDA), whether by buying a bowl or donating directly, 99.9% of your contributions go to feeding those in need!
Empty Bowls: One Teacher Made International Impact
The Empty Bowls Dinner began in 1990, started by a single teacher! Since then, the annual charity dinner has grown to have an impact from all around the globe. The CDA held its very first Empty Bowls dinner in 1997 and has raised over $325,000 since then!
Every year brings not only new bowls but also a new goal! This year’s goal for the CDA of Virginia is $20,000. Just like the flyer above shows, tickets are $35 (plus a processing fee) online and only $45 at the door. If you are purchasing your ticket online, you can use a credit/debit card or PayPal by clicking here. Your ticket covers your choice of one bowl, a meal, and access to a silent auction filled with items to bid on.
More Than Just A Bowl
When you purchase your ticket, you are getting more than just a bowl. Your meal comes with soup, all provided by VWU. The bread and desserts are donations from local businesses in the Virginia Hampton Roads area. Thanks to the partnership with VWU, there will be live music and an impressive venue. Now, about those soups, what are your choices this year, you may ask? Let’s take a look at the choices for tomorrow:
- Gluten-free Chili
- Minestrone
- Seafood soup
Of course, then there is the bread, you just can’t have chili or soup without some bread! The bread and the dessert both come from local businesses and shops. The paper products at the charity dinner will also be from local businesses. Your ticket also gives you access to the silent auction, which goes beyond bowls to include many other items, including flower arrangements, that you can bid on.
Know Where Your Money Goes
With your purchase of a ticket, and if you participate in the silent auction, you can be sure that your money is going back into the community to those in need. Out of all the money that is raised, there will be less than approximately $200 for expenses. The rest of any money from this year’s Empty Bowls event will be sent to the following organizations’ food programs:
- FoodBank of Southeastern Virginia
- Judeo-Christian Outreach Center
- Samaritan House
- Union Mission
- Oasis Social Ministries
- The H.E.R. Shelter.
Tomorrow Evening, Come On Down!
Whether you have already purchased a ticket online or this article has inspired you to purchase one, online or in person, it is going to be a great event! People from all over the area, and sometimes even further, come out yearly to enjoy the charity dinner and event. You may be a newcomer, or perhaps a returning familiar face! You might even get to meet some of the local artists who contributed to this year’s Empty Bowls charity event.
Come alone or bring a friend, tickets are still available for purchase! While dinner and the event sound fun, what’s the best part to me is that you will be supporting the community. We hope to see you there, because even while you’re out enjoying the event, you will be helping someone in need! We hope to see you at this year’s Empty Bowls charity dinner in Virginia Beach!
