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Have Dinner at WHS Empty Bowls on Saturday to Help Fight Hunger in Our Community

Ready to do your part in relieving hunger and poverty in our community?

Join students at Watauga High School for the annual Empty Bowls event from 4:30-6 p.m. this Saturday, March 19, all proceeds from which will support the Hunger and Health Coalition and its work in the High Country.

The HHC is a Boone-based nonprofit organization that provides food and pharmacy assistance to low-income families and individuals in the community.

A minimum contribution of $20 will get you in the door on Saturday.

The auction will include great local items, like handmade teapots created by artists in the Potters of the Blue Ridge group.

The following local potters recently participated in the group’s annual Teapot Challenge to create one-of-a-kind, collaborative pieces for the auction: Cindy Pacileo, Theresa McGrath, Dottie Baker, Bob Meier, Nancy Graham, Maggie Black, Pat Morrison, Connie Cox, Becki Henderson-Gow and Carol King.

Shop the auction, enjoy live music, make new friends and have soup from participating local restaurants for dinner, then take your homemade bowl back to your kitchen. When you find it in your home, let it serve as a reminder of the people in the community and around the world who are hungry and need your help.

Ceramic handmade bowls for the event have been created by WHS students and participating local artisans.

The Empty Bowls program was first established at WHS in 2002 by the Art Club, and its proceeds directly support families in Watauga County each year. Last year’s event raised $10,800 through supper and the silent auction, bringing the event’s total raised to $85,200 since its inception.

Educator Whit Whitaker said service learning projects like this one are an essential component of each student’s experience in Watauga County.

“What better teaching method than to involve students in authentic and meaningful community service? Service learning makes connections between classroom and community,” Whitaker said. “It provides an opportunity for both structured and unstructured time for students to reflect upon their role and place in their own community. It can also instill a sense of local civic responsibility by encouraging students to recognize that they can have a very real impact in their community and recognize themselves as significant contributors for social change.”

Spread the word! Invite your friends and neighbors to join you for dinner and help fight hunger and food insecurity in the process.

Watauga High School is located at 300 Go Pioneers Drive. For more information on the event, call 828-264-2407 ext. 0 or send an email to Whit Whitaker at whitakerw@watauga.k12.nc.us.

Photos from Empty Bowls 2014 by Ken Ketchie:

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