By Kirsten Le Roux
Special to The SUN
The Empty Bowls community program in Pagosa Springs is preparing for the 10th anniversary of its event, where you can “Buy a bowl to feed a soul.”
Tess Garcia, the organizer of this annual charity event, recently retired as the art teacher for Pagosa Springs Elementary School, where the event has traditionally been hosted.
In honor of the 10th anniversary, she teamed up with Shane Lucero at The Springs Resort and Spa to create a special evening affair. Lucero also manages Pagosa Peaks Volleyball and members will be volunteering their time to serve food and help out.
There is a $10 entry fee to choose your favorite handmade clay bowl and then if you would like, you can also fill it with one of the delicious soups or chilis donated by volunteers.
“Empty Bowls Pagosa is all grown up,” said Garcia. “We’re holding it this year in the beautiful atrium of the Luxury Lodge (EcoLuxe hotel) at The Springs Resort from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23. Their bar will be open and we will have some fun specialty cocktails to celebrate like ‘Seize the Clay’ and the ‘The Clay Lady,’ just a bit of fun. Bob Hemenger will be entertaining us as we enjoy the soups, chilis, chowders and stews bought by our volunteers.”
Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level. Every year, money raised at the Pagosa Springs event goes to local community food and hunger programs to assist them with funding their programs.
