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Empty Bowls project raises $35,000

| 23 Apr 2014 | 03:24
    Local potter Sharon Galbraith of East Ridge Pottery teaches a young girl how to make a pottery bowl.
    Local potter Sharon Galbraith of East Ridge Pottery teaches a young girl how to make a pottery bowl.
    An Empty Bowls guest, student potter Gianna Rotondo and local potter Dr. Deb Bernstein discuss the bowls Gianna made and donated to the event.
    An Empty Bowls guest, student potter Gianna Rotondo and local potter Dr. Deb Bernstein discuss the bowls Gianna made and donated to the event.
    Chef Erik Johansen of the Iron Forge Inn restaurant in Bellvale worked with Orange-Ulster BOCES culinary students from Warwick Valley High School and volunteers from Warwick Rotary to prepare and serve gourmet soups.
    Chef Erik Johansen of the Iron Forge Inn restaurant in Bellvale worked with Orange-Ulster BOCES culinary students from Warwick Valley High School and volunteers from Warwick Rotary to prepare and serve gourmet soups.
    For her Senior Project, Warwick Valley High School student Gianna Rotondo created and donated 50 pottery bowls to Empty Bowls. She is shown holding þÄúBowl #50.þÄù
    For her Senior Project, Warwick Valley High School student Gianna Rotondo created and donated 50 pottery bowls to Empty Bowls. She is shown holding þÄúBowl #50.þÄù
    Community members look over the hundreds of bowls of various shapes and colors, made and donated to Empty Bowls by local potters.
    Community members look over the hundreds of bowls of various shapes and colors, made and donated to Empty Bowls by local potters.
    Empty Bowls featured talented Warwick middle school and high school student music groups, who filled the WVHS lobby and cafeteria with their beautiful music throughout the event. Shown performing is the Middle School Guitar Club.
    Empty Bowls featured talented Warwick middle school and high school student music groups, who filled the WVHS lobby and cafeteria with their beautiful music throughout the event. Shown performing is the Middle School Guitar Club.
    A young potter enjoys creating a project with clay.
    A young potter enjoys creating a project with clay.

WARWICK — In the true spirit of community, many joined together to fight local hunger at Warwick Valley Empty Bowls 2014, held on March 28 at Warwick Valley High School.

Proceeds from this year’s annual event, together with contributions from sponsors and individual donors, totaled $35,000 to support food pantries and food organizations in the Town of Warwick.

Since the first Warwick Valley Empty Bowls fund raiser was held in 2011, $133,670 has been raised from the event to date.

The evening family event featured Warwick Valley High School and Middle School student musicians, kids’ hands-on pottery activities and games, sales of pottery, glass and fabric bowls, silent auction and a community meal of gourmet soups fresh bread and dessert.

The bowls
Many attendees chose to purchase a pottery bowl as a reminder of the event and the cause.

Many local potters made and contributed bowls for the event, including Bellvale Community, Dr. Deb Bernstein, Andrea Carr, Gloria Dobbs, Judy Duboff, Sharon Galbraith, Roberta Green, Jessica Hengen, Andrea Kimball, Tina Michalka, Connie Rose, Laura Smith and Anita Zedayko.

Vendors who sold bowls and donated a portion of the proceeds to Empty Bowls included Gary Genetti/Junkyard Glass bowls, Elizabeth Leon/Fabric Bowls and local potters Sharon Galbraith/East Ridge Pottery, Roberta Green/RG Clay Creations, Gloria Dobbs, Tina Michalka, Connie Rose and Anita Zedayko.

The meal
Chef Erik Johansen of the Iron Forge Inn restaurant in Bellvale and BOCES Culinary Instructor Scott Zintel worked with Orange-Ulster BOCES culinary students from Warwick Valley High School, and volunteers from Warwick Rotary to prepare gourmet soups, using many local ingredients.

ShopRite of Warwick provided all the ingredients for the soups, as well as baguettes from its new “made from scratch in store” artisan bread line.

Rockland Bakery provided all other bread served at the event.

Pennings Orchard & Farm Market provided all the apples used for the apple crisp dessert.

Jean-Claude’s Patisserie & Desert Café provided cookies as they have for each event in the past.

Community service
The community service participation of high school students is an important aspect of the fund raiser.

In addition to student chefs, student volunteers helped with setup, vendor assistance, kids’ games organized by volunteers from Warwick Lions Club, activities and cleanup.


This story and the accompanying photographs were provided by Louise Hutchison, communications specialist for the Warwick Valley School District.