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Judi Barsness and Pat Campanaro hold signs advertising the Empty Bowls campaign in Cook County. Because of COVID, Empty Bowls is once again a virtual event that runs through December 18. Photo courtesy of Beth Kennedy
In 2018 more than 400 people went to St. John’s Catholic Church to eat a simple meal of donated soups, loaves of bread and desserts as part of the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser held to fight community hunger.
When that evening concluded almost $27,000 had been raised, a new record. The next year more than $30,000 was taken in.
Last year the event was virtual because of the pandemic, but it raised $50,000, breaking the previous year’s high-water mark. This year—with covid on the uptick, the event will again be virtual, and Beth Kennedy says, “Our goal is the same as last year, we hope to raise $50,000 to fight hunger in Cook County!”
Kennedy is once again serving on the Empty Bowls Organizing Committee with Pat Campanaro, Judi Barsness, Edward Vanegas, and Marcia Hyatt.
Funds from the Empty Bowls event are distributed to the Cook County Food Shelf, the four local schools, WE Connect, Cook County Youth Agency, Cook County Public Health and Human Services, Cook County Council on Aging, and other non-profit organizations that fight hunger in Cook County.
To raise money there are various levels of giving: Premier Event Sponsors donate $1000, or more,
Business Sponsors $500-$999, Table Sponsors $250-$499, and individual sponsors, who donate what they can.
Kennedy said donations through a check can be made payable to Empty Bowls Cook County, and can be sent to Empty Bowls P.O. Box 294, Grand Marais, Minnesota, 55604.
Sales of handcrafted bowls made by the Grand Marais Art Colony also bring in a lot of money for the fundraiser. Those sales will be found on the GMAC website.
Empty Bowls started here in 2006 through the Grand Marais Art Colony. Originally Empty Bowls began in 1990 in a Michigan high school art class as a project to raise money for a food drive. Empty Bowls runs from November 18 to December 18 in Cook County.
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