UPDATE as of March 18: the fundraiser has been cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19.
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Seventeen local celebrities tried their hands at making homemade pottery bowls Wednesday morning as a kick-off to Lambton College's 13th annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser.
They included firefighters, police officers, college officials, and other community leaders taking part in the initiative, which benefits both the college and the Inn of the Good Shepherd's food bank.
Ceramics Professor Beth Turnbull-Morrish said it's always a lot of fun to see what people come up with.
"The concept of empty bowls is so great because it's using the abilities and talents that we have to help others, and so anyone can use their own skills and find a way to put it out into the community to help others," she said.
Turnbull-Morrish said the bowls of all shapes and sizes will be available for purchase by donation during the Empty Bowls dinner on March 26.
She said ceramics students and the Sarnia Lambton Potters’ Guild are also chipping in once again.
"We're going to make about 400 bowls and chefs will donate soups and then members of the community will buy their tickets for $30 and then come to the Lambton College Special Events Centre on March 26 at 5 p.m. or 7 p.m., they will choose a bowl and they will go through the soup line and choose a soup, enjoy a simple meal of soup, bread, coffee and tea, and they'll sit and enjoy music and their friends and conversation, and at the end of the night, they're going to take the bowl home as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world."
Turnbull-Morrish said local celebrities have been helping out for 12 of the 13 years now, including Inn of the Good Shepherd Executive Director Myles Vanni.
"Myles comes every year and makes a bowl and his bowl after his [many] attempts might be slightly better than his first attempt, for sure."
Vanni agreed that his bowls have been improving over the years.
"My first bowl would be more considered a bread plate, it just kind of fell flat. I'm actually making bowls now that can hold soup, so that's a good thing," he said. "We keep our collection of the bowls that we dine with at night and we also use my own personal bowls that I've made as a candy dish or where I put my keys at the end of the day."
Vanni said the Empty Bowls fundraiser really helps those in need.
"The winter is a more difficult time for a lot of folks as we serve them, so that extra support means we're able to help them."
All money raised will be donated to the Inn of the Good Shepherd and the Lambton College Food Bank. This year’s goal is to raise $10,000, and the total raised to date is over $101,000.
Tickets for the event can be purchased from Lambton College’s counselling department or at the Inn of the Good Shepherd.
-With files from Josh Boyce.
