Members of the Osoyoos Potters Club were hard at work in September and October producing 200 bowls for Saturday’s event. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Beautiful hand-made pottery bowls are still sitting empty, but on Saturday they will be filled with scrumptious soups made by some of the area’s top chefs.
Tickets are still available for the Empty Bowls Fundraiser on Saturday for Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre.
The event takes place at the Watermark Beach Resort from 6 to 10 p.m. on Nov. 14. Tickets are $49 each.
“All the bowls are done,” said Sandy Summers, a Desert Sun board member who is organizing the event. “They’re absolutely gorgeous. I can’t tell you the names of the soups because that’s top secret.”
The bowls were made by members of the Osoyoos Potters Club, who spun or hand-built them and then covered them with unique, colourful glazes.
Attendees get to keep their bowls after using them to sample the soups. The event aims to raise awareness about poverty, and guests take home the bowls as a reminder of those who have less.
It’s the major fundraising event for Desert Sun and it replaces the gala A Grand Night, which was the organization’s main fundraiser for the past decade.
In addition to gourmet soup, guests will also sample artisan bread, wine, craft beer and cider.
Summers said there will be 12 stations where each restaurant is set up to serve the soups. Visitors can vote for their favourites and around 9 p.m. the winning chef will receive a Golden Ladle award.
Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson will be the master of ceremonies, Summers said.
As of last Wednesday, more than half the 200 tickets had been sold, but there were still many available.
There will not be entertainment, but there will be a long communal table and other furniture so that people can mingle and meet others, Summers said.
There will also be some of the potters present to talk about the bowls with guests and to help people choose one.
The 12 chefs are: Adair Scott, Watermark Beach Resort; Troy Bratton, Troy’s Grill; Raphael Roy, Walnut Beach Resort; Damien Mischkinis, The Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl; Mathieu Vallières, Convivia; Joanne Muirhead, Jojo’s Café; Rob Walker, Liquidity Bistro; Jenna Pillon, Terrafina at Hester Creek; Doug Hyndford, Spirit Ridge Resort; Annina Hoffmeister, Dolci Socialhaus; Andrea Kuzmak, Wander Café; and Kevin Cooper, Nk’Mip Cellars. All have donated their time and materials.
The bakeries are The Lake Village Bakery and Oliver Bakery.
Wine was donated by Peller Estates from Kelowna and Hester Creek from Oliver. Beer is provided by Firehall Brewery in Oliver and cider by Faustino Estate Cidery north of Osoyoos.
Desert Sun provides 13 programs in Osoyoos and Oliver including programs to deal with family violence and counselling, especially of those who are dealing with past traumas. They also maintain a short-term shelter for women and children fleeing from abusive situations.
Among other programs, Desert Sun also operates the Better at Home program, which helps local seniors to stay in their own homes longer by providing them with services to help in their day-to-day tasks.
Tickets for the Empty Bowls Fundraiser are available online at www.desertsuncounselling.ca or by phone at 250-498-2538.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
