By Gordon Lambie
This year’s empty bowls fundraiser sold its entire stock of 300 bowls in under two hours on Saturday. Originally meant to take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the sale to benefit local organizations that fight hunger had to close up shop around 12:45 p.m. after the last of the bowls was sold.
“We’ve never done that before,” said organizer and local potter Lucy Doheny, noting that in some of the early years the event, which began as a community meal, would sometimes hold follow-up sales to get rid of overstock.
As a result of the generous response from the community, Doheny estimated this year’s event raised around $8,000, at least $500 more than last year’s record-breaking result.
“This whole, ‘no soup’ thing is fabulous,” the organizer said, pointing out that in the two years that the event has been converted from a ticketed community meal to a simple bowl sale, the fundraising result has been very positive.
In the past the Empty Bowls event has supported local causes like the Moisson Estrie and Cornerstone food banks, The Lennoxville and District Women’s Centre, the Lennoxville Elementary School breakfast program, and food vouchers for Bishop’s and Champlain students. Asked about this year’s causes, Doheny said that a small group will meet next week to sort out the details of what to send where but that she would love to see the funds go as far as possible toward the goal of preventing hunger in the local community.