Peggy McGee
Members of the Pottery & Sculpture Club (POTS) and Ceramics Club spent part of December and much of January creating special bowls, which will be given to attendees at the 20th Annual Empty Bowls event on Saturday, Feb. 21. Sponsored by Valley Assistance Services (VAS), a 501(c)(3) that serves primarily families and seniors in the Greater Green Valley area, the event is designed to make others acutely aware that a bowl of soup is all that some get to eat all day.
This year, there are approximately 18 restaurants, to include the Grill, that will be donating up to five gallons of soup to support the fundraiser. Attendees will get their choice of soups, plus they will choose a handcrafted bowl to take home with them. The soup will be served in disposable bowls so that the handmade bowls will not get dirty during the event. Along with the soup, a slice of French bread and a cookie will be served.
Tickets are $25 each. There will be three seating periods: 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m. A new selection of bowls will be put out each hour.
There will be an opportunity to try to become a winner of one of the 50-plus raffle baskets. Raffle prizes are made possible by the generosity of local retail establishments and crafters who willingly share their creative talents each year. One does not have to be present to win a raffle basket. In addition to the raffle, there will also be a Silent Auction featuring works of art, spa baskets, golf packages, and more. All proceeds from Empty Bowls go to support the many services that VAS provides. These include help with rent and utilities, fall prevention, RN advocacy, support groups for those who have lost a family member, and memory loss/dementia programs for those suffering from any form of dementia, as well as their caregivers.
Tickets can be purchased at the VAS office, 3950 Camino del Heroe (in the Springs HOA development); Posada Java; the Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce; and Nancy Pantz or by contacting Quail Creek resident Peggy McGee at positivelypeggygv@gmail.com. One can also prepurchase raffle tickets at 6 for $5, 14 for $10, and 30 for $20 at Valley Assistance Services or from Peggy McGee. Advance purchase of raffle tickets gives attendees an opportunity to put address labels and a phone number on the tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for the noon and 1 p.m. seatings.