POTS member Laura Marchetta is designing a bowl that will be donated to VAS. (Photo by Peggy McGee)
Peggy McGee
Artisans from the Quail Creek Pottery & Sculpture Studio (POTS) and Ceramics Clubs have been busy creating original bowls to be given to attendees at the annual Valley Assistance Services (VAS) Empty Bowls event on Saturday, Feb. 18. Members of both clubs are expected to donate more than 200 unique bowls for this year’s event. Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 S. Camino del Sol, will again be the venue for this fundraiser. There will be nine pick-up times from which to choose: 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.
The true meaning of Empty Bowls is to bring awareness that many only have one bowl of soup per day, as they are forced to choose whether to pay for rent, utilities, medications, gas for their car, or buy groceries. This is your chance to help the less fortunate while enjoying some satisfying soup. Because of the rise in COVID cases in Pima County, organizers decided to make it a carry-out (walk-through) event. There will be soup from about 20 different local restaurants, including the Grill, for participants to take home and enjoy. Attendees will choose from hundreds of beautiful bowls to take home their favorite locally crafted commemorative souvenir.
Although attendees will not be able to sit down and enjoy their meals (a 16-ounce container of soup, a slice of French bread, and a cookie), they will still be able to try to become a winner of upwards of 50 raffle baskets, made possible by the generosity of local retail establishments and crafts persons who willingly share their creative talents each year. One does not have to be present to win a raffle basket. In addition to the basket 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, which includes 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 who have any form of dementia, as well as their caregivers.
Tickets are on sale for $25 at the Valley Assistance Services office located at 3950 Camino del Heroe (in the Springs development), Posada Java, the Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce, and Nancy Pantz, or by contacting Quail Creek resident Peggy McGee at [email protected]. You 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 will give attendees an opportunity to put address labels and a phone number on the tickets.
This is Valley Assistance Services’ largest fundraising opportunity of the year. Please consider supporting their many programs. VAS is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves 7,000 residents of the local community each year.