By Morgan Bryce
Editor
Denson Recreation Center will be the destination for this year’s Empty Bowls pre-sale, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 21 through Dec. 3.
Each year, the city of Auburn’s and Opelika’s parks and recreation departments swap hosting duties for this fundraiser for the Food Bank of East Alabama. At the pre-sale, patrons will be able to select the soup bowl of their choice, with a price range of $10 to $35.
With each bowl is a tasting ticket to the Empty Bowls event on Feb. 1, 2020. There, patrons will be able to purchase soups made by some of the area’s best chefs.
In year’s past, the event has raised upwards of $14,000 for the food bank, which serves more than 70,000 people in a seven-county region. Every dollar raised by Empty Bowls helps further their mission in those areas.
“With every dollar that we receive in funding, we are able to distribute the equivalent of seven meals, and so it has a pretty tremendous impact on our ability to acquire food and distribute it to people in need,” said Food Bank of East Alabama executive director Martha Henk in a 2017 interview with the Observer. “I love the concept of an empty bowl … I’m literally reminded everyday that somebody in my community has an empty bowl that needs filling, but also that there is something very concrete that can be done about making sure people have enough to eat. I’m very mindful of the fact that every one of those bowls, someone has handmade, put their time into creating the bowl, and through this event, are able to fill other people’s bowls.”
For more information, call Sherie Spain at the Denson Recreation Center at 334-705-5558 or see the Empty Bowls Facebook group. The center is located at 1102 Denson Drive in Opelika.