The sixth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser for Grayson County Alliance (GCA) Food Pantry will be held Monday at St. Joseph Parish Hall in Leitchfield.
Empty Bowls is a soup supper where each meal ticket purchased will enable the food pantry to provide approximately 100 meals for local families struggling with food insecurity.
For a suggested donation of $25, guests have their choice of a painted keepsake or pottery bowl created by amateur and professional artists from the community.
The event begins at 4:00 Monday afternoon and ends at 7:00. St. Joseph Parish Hall is at 204 North Main Street.
“Empty Bowls is a great way to spotlight the work that the Alliance is doing to help the one in seven of our friends and neighbors struggling with food insecurity,” GCA Executive Director Debbie Childress said. “(It) is a simple and creative way to focus some 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.”
One of the highlights of the fundraiser is a one-of-a-kind Larry Elmore dragon bowl. Elmore, in his sixth year providing a dragon-themed bowl for Empty Bowls, is an internationally renown artist and has been creating fantasy and science fiction art for more than four decades.
“GCA is so blessed to have Larry use his amazing talents to benefit the food pantry,” Childress declared.
There will be many other creative bowls to choose from, including bowls made by Grayson County High School’s Advanced Pottery students under the tutelage of Art teacher Bev Dowell.
The event is sponsored through the generosity of local businesses, groups, churches, and individuals who want to make a positive impact on their friends and neighbors in need, Childress said.
Additionally, GCA will hold a Silent Auction on its Facebook page. Bidding opens on the special Facebook post on February 20 at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m. The highest bid wins and no bids proffered after 7:00 p.m. will be considered. The winner will be announced on the same Facebook post, Childress stated.
The Alliance a 501(c)3 non-profit has been serving Grayson County with a food pantry for the past 22 years and just this past year fed an average of 750 families a month. The food pantry depends on donations from the community and grants to support their agency. Community members and groups can also give back by volunteering. Check out its 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.
(Headline photo: Renown local artist Larry Elmore holding his dragon bowl)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
