A huge thank you to everyone who attended the John C. Campbell Folk School’s Empty Bowls event on Saturday, May 20. All profits from this event will go to food banks that serve Clay and Cherokee counties: the Sharing Center in Murphy, Matt’s Ministry, Cherokee County Food Bank, and Clay County Food Pantry.

The evening began with a lively bowl selection, with attendees picking from over 700 bowls graciously donated by area potters. Dawn Davis and David Bellino provided live music for the evening. The Folk School’s Clay Coordinator Sienna Shute and Chris Jones of Chris Jones Pottery delighted guests by demonstrating how to make vases and pots using a pottery wheel. Dinner included fresh-brewed coffee from Black Stag Coffee, minestrone and tomato basil soup from Perrone’s Neighborhood Grill and the Crown Restaurant, salad using vegetables fresh from the Folk School’s garden, and a strawberry crisp prepared by the school’s Dining Hall. The evening ended with a festive brown bag raffle for pitchers, coffee mugs, and other ceramics donated by local potters.

“I was blown away by the number of folks who came together to help us raise awareness about hunger in our community and donate to local organizations working tirelessly to make a difference,” said Morgan Budzinski, the Folk School’s Event and Volunteer Manager. “Support from local restaurants, area artists, our volunteers, and, of course, those in attendance made this event a huge success for food banks serving Clay and Cherokee counties.”

The Folk School continues to raise money for area food banks through the end of this week. Remaining bowls are available for purchase from the Folk School’s Craft Shop through Saturday, May 27, for $20 each. The school will present the total amount raised to each food bank in the coming weeks, with details to follow.

Special thanks to Perrone’s Neighborhood Grill in Murphy and The Crown Brasstown for providing the delicious soups for the evening, along with Black Stag Coffee and Café and Chance Luc from Nocturnal Brewery, both in Hayesville, who provided freshly brewed coffee and helped with serving guests and clean up. We also want to give a tremendous thank you to all the artists who donated their bowls and pieces for the Brown Bag Raffle.

If you or your organization is interested in participating in next year’s Empty Bowls event, please contact Morgan Budzinski at 828-837-2775, ext. 116 or email Morgan via our website.