Harry Chapin Food Bank Empty Bowl annual event a success
More than 700 handmade ceramic bowls were available for selection by those attending the 4th annual Empty Bowls event at the Alliance for the Arts on Saturday, Dec. 3. The bowls were made by Lee County students, under the direction many teachers, including North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts Theresa West-Taylo.
Proceeds from the event total $14,867, which translates into almost $90,000 that the Harry Chapin Food Bank can use to purchase food and supplies.
The silent auction, under the guidance of Marguerite Husebye, art teacher at Cape Coral High School, brought entries from art teachers and community artists, with many from the Cape Coral Arts Studio to make the event a success. Lehigh High School art teacher Suzie Somogyi served as the chair for the Empty Bowls committee and coordinated the efforts of art teachers and students in creating the bowls for the event.
A dozen local restaurants provided tasty soups and a celebrity servers contributed to the ambiance of the day. Entertainment was provided by school music and dance groups. Pottery demonstrations were provided by Chas Bean and NFM’s West-Taylo. Panera Bread was the presenting sponsor of the event.
The Harry Chapin Food Bank solicits, collects and stores quality food for distribution to families in need through a network of more than 150 local nonprofit agencies in Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Glades counties, who provide food to more than 30,000 people monthly. Over 1 million pounds of food are distributed monthly. For every dollar donated, about $6 in food value goes back to the community. In the past fiscal year, The Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 12.5 million pounds of food and other grocery products; this was a 31% increase over the previous year.
Additional information about or to contribute financially to the Harry Chapin Food Bank, contact 239-334-7007 or go to harrychapinfoodbank.org.
Source: Harry Chapin Food Bank