Empty Bowls returns to Carson City’s Silver and Snowflakes

Empty Bowls Carson City is providing meals and bowls to remind residents about hunger awareness.

In conjunction with the annual Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights, Empty Bowls will be selling tickets which will be good for one bowl and admission to enjoy a bowl of soup made by local Carson City businesses. The event, taking place Dec. 4 from 4-7 p.m., during the festival, will be at the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of Musser and Division Streets. All proceeds from the event will go to the local Friends in Service Helping organization to feed the hungry.

Empty Bowls is a non-profit organization who makes handcrafted bowls to help raise money to work towards ending world hunger. Empty Bowls raises money from its sales and donates the money to an organization who also works to end hunger and food insecurity.

The idea to have the soup feast with the festival came from the director of F.I.S.H., Jim Peckham.

“Normally, this event is held every World Hunger Day, but knowing Carson City, we figured people would be more generous during the Christmas season,” said Empty Bowls board chair, Robin McGregor.

The event is supposed to remind people about the problem of hunger many face on a daily basis.

“We want people to remember all of the empty bowls in your community,” McGregor said. “We are spreading hunger awareness with the hope to eventually stamp out hunger.”

This is the third year Empty Bowls has participated in this event with the Silver and Snowflakes Festival of LIghts. Last year, Empty Bowls Carson City collected donations from 600 bowls and raised more than $2,700. This year, the organization is expecting to have almost 1,200 bowls for the event.

Tickets for Friday are $12, but Empty Bowls is hosting a special preview day Thursday, Dec. 3, for $25 from 6-8 p.m. There, patrons can donate the $25 and have first pick of the bowls and it also gets them a ticket of admission for a soup meal Friday. At the event Friday, there will also be a raffle for locally made and commercial items that have been donated to the cause.

To get tickets for the first look event on Dec. 3, visit the Carson City F.I.S.H. store to pre-donate. Tickets are also available at the door both days and they take cash or credit card. McGregor said they also won’t turn away anyone who needs a meal and can’t afford a donation.

“This is a wonderful event,” McGregor said. “It is a powerful thing when you think about it, people don’t think that there is hunger everywhere, but there is.”