Students and staff at a Nanaimo high school are putting soup on the menu at a fundraiser benefiting Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank.
The Empty Bowl fundraiser, last held in 2019, takes place March 9 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Nanaimo District Secondary School. Admission is $20 and attendees will get bread and soup in a handmade clay bowl which they can keep.
“We’re going to have 150 bowls and so we’re selling 150 tickets … our goal is to raise about $3,000,” said Solace Stuart, NDSS student council president. “This is the first time we’ve held the event in three years because of COVID and last year student council was just getting back into things and it was busy times, so I’m glad to be able to bring it back.”
While past fundraisers were complemented with silent auctions, this year’s event will feature a marketplace with items for sale.
“We have gone to all the departments in our school, and also from anyone who’s willing to donate, we’re asking for handmade crafts and gifts, just so we can help add to [money raised],” said Keira Longson, student council vice-president.
Jean Kloppenburg, NDSS teacher, said the format will be more casual than previous years.
“In the past we had a beautiful sit-down dinner, with 15o in one room and just to accommodate people’s comfort levels, we’re doing more of a drop-in,” she said. “Have a bowl of soup, grab your soup bowl, check out our sale tables, with student artwork and donations … hopefully it’s a good turnout.”
Kloppenburg has been holding pottery fundraisers to make bowls in the lead-up to this year’s event.
“I invite people to experience clay and enjoy making a bowl at the community events,” she said. “That’s always a big draw because people get to donate to the charity, but they get a whole evening of making their own bowl and being creative with it.”
Student council members say they chose Loaves and Fishes because it is a local charity and they liked the idea of giving back to the community.
There will be vegetarian soup available.
Clay bowls are sought and any potters wishing to donate can e-mail lisa.brockley@sd68.bc.ca. Tickets are $20 and available at the NDSS office at 355 Wakesiah Ave.
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