Empty the Bowl event raises thousands for the hungry

Under the leadership of the Gonzales Noon Lions Club, the first-ever Gonzales Empty the Bowl project took place last Thursday evening at the Gonzales Elks Lodge.
Hundreds of people attended the three-hour fundraiser designed to raise money to feed the area’s hungry. Attendees paid $20 to get into the Elks Lodge which allowed them to select their very own pottery bowl made by local service club members, high school art students, pottery enthusiasts and the Master Gardeners Club and a host of others. Once an attendee picked their favorite pottery bowl they were able to select from a number of different types of soup donated by area restaurants. Along with the soup, attendees were given a free roll donated by Gonzales Health System and iced tea donated by Walmart and H.E.B. Restaurants donating soup included GG Steaks & Spirits, the Running M, La Bella Tavola, the Cow Palace, St. George Deli, the Farmers Daughter, Johnny’s Cajun Café, Sweet B’s Dessert Boutique and Yang’s.
After eating, patrons were allowed to buy various desserts donated by local businesses and individuals. After all was done, net proceeds will be donated to Meals on Wheels and GCAM to help the ongoing effort to feed area hungry.
“I think it was a great thing for the community,” said Greg McLain of the Noon Lions Club. “The service clubs and our community really came together to make this event a huge success. Remember, this was just our first effort and I think this will be something we will want to grow in the future.”
The idea for the Empty Bowl project was the brainchild of Belmont’s Leah Ford the owner of Red Hen Pottery.
“I have helped provide bowls and train people to make bowls for other communities, and I thought we could do it here too,” Ford said. “We have such a giving community and I was hoping we could do this. Greg (McLain) is a pottery student of mine, and when I mentioned it to him, he picked up the idea, ran with it, and made it happen with the help of a lot of good people in Gonzales.
“I am just so tickled to see the layout at the lodge and all the people who came to support this event. Thank you Gonzales!"