The Chaplin Democratic Town Committee :: 10th Annual Empty Bowl Project

10TH ANNUAL EMPTY BOWL PROJECT A HUGE SUCCESS
by Kitty LeShay, Reprinted from Reminder News

Empty Bowl Project, Parish Hill, Chaplin CT

Over six hundred handcrafted bowls sat on and under tables waiting to be selected and filled with delicious soups, stews and chilies. A mild evening on the 11th of February allowed the doors at Parish Hill High School to remain open to accommodate the long line which grows exponentially each year. Students, parents, grandparents, faculty, and administrators make unique bowls and the delicious foods to fill them. This year E.O. Smith High School contributed 30 bowls. "We begin preparing for the Empty Bowls at the beginning of December.

Every weekend and some evenings are devoted to making the bowls and other preparations," Ann Williams, PHHS art teacher and organizer, said. This year two other features were added to the event, a cookbook of the many soups and breads served, and a photo gallery in the cafeteria which showcased the many learning experiences and many activities which take place at the school. "Empty Bowls is a multi-disciplined event. It is a real educational experience," Williams said.

Charlie Young, a senior, who was instrumental in putting together the cookbook, was very enthusiastic about the project and what he had learned. "I learned a lot more about how to work with Adobe InDesign; matching colors and doing gradients and how to make a book. I love the Empty Bowl Event and feel honored to be able to work on the cookbook to help the community," he said. Other students edited and gathered recipes Proceeds from the project are donated to charitable organizations locally and beyond.

More than 90% of the staff makes food for the event, and many help Williams set up after school to make the cafeteria a comfortable and homey environment. Kitchen staff takes care of the food as it is delivered, make sure it is right temperature and do clean-up, and students serve some of the soups.

Picking out a bowl can be a challenging experience. There are so many unusual sizes and shapes, and wonderful designs and colors. For the reasonable price of $10.00 some people buy several, keep them for themselves or give them to their friends and relatives.

Erin Donnelly was attending the Empty Bowls Event for the first time with her daughter, Ellie. Like most people they looked carefully and picked the bowls up to get the feel of a specially made item. "This is definitely not our last time at this event. We may have to do a second run after we narrow down the color size and shape we want," Donnelly said. Then there were the food choices awaiting them.

If you have a story or news of Chaplin, please email Diane Cox.