Members of the Osoyoos Potters have been kept busy over the past weeks and months creating the bowls that will be used at the Empty Bowls fundraiser, set for Friday, Nov. 3 at the Watermark Beach Resort. Members of the local arts group who helped create bowls include (from left) Carol Pickering, Lucy Stoppler, Darlene Fillion, Kia Schmidt, Yvonne Moore, Nathalie Gurdon and Dianne Hughes. Empty Bowls is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Desert Sun Resource and Counselling Centre in Osoyoos. (Keith Lacey photo)

There haven’t been any empty seats at the Empty Bowls fundraiser for the Desert Sun Resource and Counselling Centre and that’s not expected to change for this year’s event.

“We’ve sold every single ticket the first two years and we’re expecting another sell-out of 200 people this year,” said Sandy Summers, a longtime board member with Desert Sun and the organizer of this year’s event, set for Friday, Nov. 3 at the Watermark Beach Resort.

This is the third annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, which features chefs from numerous Osoyoos and area restaurants cooking up their best soup dish to those in attendance. Patrons at the event move from station to station tasting the different soup dishes served up by the excellent chefs.

Members of the Osoyoos Potters have spent the past several months making the soup bowls that will be used at the fundraising event.

Summers admits that she took the idea for the Empty Bowls fundraiser from a similar event she attended in St. Catharines, Ont. more than a dozen years ago.

“That event included great chefs making soup, but what we’ve done here is involve craft wineries and breweries and some of the best chefs in the region and brought the event to a different level,” said Summers.

“We’ve had great response to our event the first two years and we’re really looking forward to another great event this year.”

The first Empty Bowls fundraiser raised more than $15,000 for Desert Sun and last year’s event raised more than $19,000, all of which goes to benefit the community through the programs and counselling services offered by Desert Sun staff and volunteers, said Summers.

The members of the Osoyoos Potters play a large role in the success of this event as the members volunteer their time and artistic skills to making the soup bowls used at the event, she said.

The concept of empty bowls and making soup is symbolic because it signifies that there are many members of this community who are struggling to get by and don’t have a lot and they benefit greatly from the services provided by organizations like Desert Sun, said Summers.

To date, organizers have confirmation of the following restaurants participating in this year’s Empty Bowls fundraiser. They include the Watermark Beach Resort, Walnut Beach Resort, Nk’Mip Resort at Spirit Ridge patio, Mica Restaurant, Wander Craft, JoJo’s Café, Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl Resort, Terrafina Restaurant at Hester Creek Winery, Greenside Grill at the Osoyoos Golf Club and Medici Gelato from Oliver, who will serve dessert.

Organizers are awaiting confirmation from two other local restaurants.

Wine sponsors for the evening will be Peller Estates, bread will be donated from Lake Village  Bakery, Faustimio Cidery will provide cider and FireHall Brewery will provide craft beer.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.ca and are $49 each.

Businesses can sponsor a bowl for $50 and their business card will be placed in the bowl to advertise their support of the event and they will be given a charitable tax receipt, said Summers.

You can find out more information about Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre by visiting their website at www.desertsuncounselling.ca.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times