Empty bowls fundraiser features handmade bowls crafted by local artisans
by Dan Holland
Empty Bowls, an international program created by the Imagine Render Group to raise awareness and funds to combat hunger, is entering its 13th year of being sponsored locally by Brecksville Kiwanis and Broadview Heights Lions.
The program has a mission of raising funds for Brecksville Food Pantry and South Hills Lend-A-Hand Food Bank in Broadview Heights. This year’s event takes place March 3 from 5-7 p.m., at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center.
Attendees will receive a keepsake hand-crafted bowl to take home as a reminder of food insecurity locally and around the world. A $20 ticket/donation to the event, which can be purchased at Star Sports, located at 7033 Mill Rd. in Brecksville or Broadview Chiropractic Health at 1100 W. Royalton Rd., entitles attendees to a meal of soup, salad, bread and beverages. A live band will also add to this year’s festivities.
Organizers hope to sell 500 tickets this year, with a goal of raising $10,000 for the cause. The event raised more than $9,000 last year.
Brecksville Kiwanis member Eric Geyer, who is also a member of the Brecksville Chamber of Commerce, helps organize the event each year.
“All proceeds obviously go to local food banks, and it’s a huge event every year,” said Geyer. “We have volunteers from the food banks, including [Brecksville Food Operations Manager] Chelsea Huizing, and she does a great job of keeping the kitchen in order, and she knows all the standards for serving foods safely.”
“It’s great that we get some buy-in from them, and it helps so many people in need, especially with food prices being up from years back,” he continued. “Even though Brecksville and Broadview Heights tend to be fairly well-off communities, there are still a number of residents who struggle to make ends meet.”
Brecksville Kiwanis member Rich Del Roso has been providing the hand-crafted “empty” bowls donated to the event over the years – as many as 300 in a year.
Del Roso and a team of eight to 10 individuals, all of whom have taken pottery classes at the Brecksville Center for the Arts, first became involved in the process 15 years ago. The group, which consisted of a rotating class of residents from year to year, began making approximately 400 ceramic bowls each year for the event, which was held at the Brecksville Human Services Department and the Brecksville Center for the Arts on varying years.
The event was paused in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic but was reinstated as a drive-thru event hosted by the Human Services Department in 2021 and 2022 prior to its move to CVCC.
In recent years, Del Roso has teamed up with Sandi Sisson and Bev Zieglar to produce the 300 bowls made for the event.
“It has been a very fun event to participate in over the years,“ said Del Roso.
Brecksville-based North Coast Woodturners, which has been involved with the event for a dozen years, donates 100 lathe-spun wood bowls each year. Some of the bowls are given away, while the more ornate creations are auctioned off during the event to raise money. Many of the bowls are created with raw wood from downed trees.
“The skill levels of our members vary from beginner to expert, and the bowls donated range from simple everyday salad bowls to exquisite decorative art pieces,” explained North Coast Woodturners President Mike Bracken. “This year, we set a goal of producing one hundred bowls, and I’m proud to say we exceeded that number.”
“North Coast Woodturners has had an excellent relationship with the city of Brecksville, the Brecksville Kiwanis Club and Broadview Heights Lions Club in our support of helping to feed those who are less fortunate,” he added.
Geyer commended the numerous area businesses that contribute to the program year-after-year.
“Many of the businesses I know through the Chamber of Commerce donate, which is a great way to have private funding go to those who need it the most,” said Geyer. “It’s been a little rough on businesses this past year with some area bridges being closed, but they all stepped up, and It’s great that these businesses are doing their part to help support their communities when they’re facing some tough times themselves. It all dovetails so well; it’s an event by the community for the community.”For information, visit kiwanisofbrecksville.org/empty-bowls.
Photo caption: This year’s Empty Bowls fundraiser will take place March 3 from 5-7 p.m., at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center. Attendees will receive a keepsake handcrafted bowl to take home as a reminder of food insecurity locally and around the world. Photo submitted.