Grayson County Alliance’s (GCA) 8th Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held on Monday, February 17.
Empty Bowls is a simple soup supper where each meal purchased will provide the food pantry with approximately 200 meals for local families struggling with food insecurity.
The event will be held at St. Joseph Parish Hall in Leitchfield from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
For a suggested donation of $25, guests have a choice of a painted keepsake or pottery bowl created by amateur and professional artists from the community, including bowls made by Grayson County High School students and local scouts.
All proceeds will remain in Grayson County and support GCA’s programs.
“Empty Bowls is a great way to spotlight the work that the Alliance is doing to help the one in six of our friends and neighbors struggling with food insecurity,” GCA Executive Director Debbie Childress said. “The Alliance has been focused on combating the issue of hunger for 25 years and has seen tremendous success in improving the access to food for lower income families while engaging the community through thousands of hours of volunteer service.”
Empty Bowls is a community-driven event as local restaurants and vendors have donated soup, bread and desserts. The evening is sponsored through the generosity of local businesses, groups, churches, and individuals that want to make a positive impact locally.
“It is a beautiful picture of the generosity and kindness of our community as we come together to eat and fellowship, all to benefit our friends and neighbors in need,” Childress said.
One of the highlights at Empty Bowls is the one-of-a-kind Larry Elmore dragon bowl. Elmore, an internationally recognized artist, has been creating otherworldly fantasy and science fiction art for over 40 years.
“GCA is so blessed to have Larry use his amazing talents to benefit the food pantry,” Childress exclaimed.
This will be the eighth dragon-themed bowl that Elmore has donated.
Individuals interested in bidding will need to follow the Silent Auction on GCA’s Facebook page.
Bidding on Elmore’s bowl opens with a special post on February 17 at 7:00 a.m. and closes that night at 7:00 p.m. The highest bid wins, no bids after closing will be considered, and the winner will be announced on the same post.
“Empty Bowls is a simple and creative way to focus attention on hunger in Grayson County. Each bowl selected will be that visual reminder that it takes all of us to fill the bowls and fight hunger in our community all year long,” Childress declared.
The Alliance, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, assists needy Grayson County residents with a food pantry and serves an average of 750 families per month. The food pantry depends on donations from the community as well as grants.
Community members and groups can also give back by volunteering — Check out GCA’s website: gc-alliance.com, or contact the GCA office at 270-259-4000, or info@gc-alliance.com for more information on services, giving and volunteering.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
