The Sea to Sky Potter’s Guild’s annual Empty Bowls event raised desperately needed funds for food banks in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton earlier this month. A large crowd gathered in the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) on Thursday, May 9 to help neighbours struggling to get food in their fridges. This year’s event is estimated to have raised more than $10,000.
The idea is simple: local potters create breathtaking bowls, while ticket-holders pick their favourite and fill it with soup made by top chefs. Bannock was donated by the SLCC, while Lucia Gelato could also be scooped into handcrafted bowls made by Whistler Secondary students for an additional donation of $15. The event also included a silent auction with exciting prizes.
The fundraiser could not have come at a better time, as food banks struggle to keep up with growing demand. Whistler’s food bank saw more than 5,000 more visits in 2023 than it did in 2022—an increase of 38 per cent in just a year. A total of 1,355 kids visited the food bank in 2023, which is now trying to raise $75,000 before mid-June to ensure no one goes hungry. Read the entire PIQUE article here.