Empty Bowls leaves participants with full hearts
Staff Photo: Carlton Fletcher
By Carlton Fletcher
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ALBANY — Wednesday’s Empty Bowls event — and it was an event — at the Northwest Library Branch was a stark reminder that the annual fundraiser is way more than just a way to contribute to two of Albany’s most revered nonprofits.
It was, for event sponsors and participants alike, something of a “family reunion” for supporters who have made the annual fundraiser a must-do.
“It’s the food and the bowls, but more than that it’s an opportunity to get together with friends,” Betty Hurt of Albany said as she waited in a long-ish line for the event to get started. “I do a lot of traveling, but every year my friends and me meet up at Empty Bowls.”
The fundraiser supports vital community events sponsored by the Southwest Georgia Council on Aging and the Albany Area Arts Council. The executive directors of those two agencies, Izzie Sadler and Nicole Williams, respectively, said the feeling of a “return to normal” after a couple of years of COVID-induced cancellations, lent Wednesday’s event an extra dash of homecoming.
“We’ve been doing this a while (10 years) now, and there is an air of sameness to it,” Williams said. “But once everyone shows up and you see the people excitedly looking over the bowls and chatting in little groups at the table, there is this tremendous sense of community.”
Sadler, whose agency uses funds raised by Empty Bowls for its program that feeds senior citizens in the community, said there is a “warm feeling” that surrounds Empty Bowls.
“Every year for us, Empty Bowls is the same but different,” the SWGA Council on Aging director said. “There are some changes in the dynamics from time to time: a new venue, a larger or smaller number of tickets and bowls available. But the thing that doesn’t change is the spirit of the people who are so loyal to this event.”
Rosalynn Fliggins of Albany said she has been trying to get tickets to Empty Bowls for years. She finally scored one — with the help of a friend — for Wednesday’s edition.
“I knew it would be like this; there’s such a nice energy,” Fliggins said. “I’ve been trying to get tickets for years, and they were always sold out. A friend got me a ticket this year, and I just love this event. I love southwest Georgia, and this is one of the good things about our community.”
Bill Merchant was enjoying his first Empty Bowls after being talked into coming by his wife, Cyndi. The Leary couple said they were having a blast going through the bowls created by local artisans. They finally found a matching pair.
“She (Cyndi) told me about this, and it sounded like a good idea,” Bill Merchant said. “They do a really nice job with it; we’re having fun.”
Unique bowls for the fundraiser were crafted and created by local artisans, while a number of area restaurants supplied soup and other goodies to fill the bowls.
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