SPRINGFIELD — Springfield High School students are making a difference in ending hunger locally.
Tonight, the Springfield High School Arts Academy and the River Valley Technical Center Culinary Program will host their annual Empty Bowl Dinner. The dinner features pottery and artwork from hundreds of Springfield High School and Union Street Elementary School students. This is the fourth year for the event and organizers attribute its success to the students.
“We’re trying to provide students a model on how to give back to the community and what an empty bowl dinner means globally and nationally,” Springfield High School art teacher Lisa Murray said. “This goes on around the world and they’re meant to have people make a positive impact on the community they live in and think about people who don’t have enough food to put in their bowls.”
The Empty Bowl dinner is a light fare featuring soup, bread, drinks, and more. The food will be served in colorful bowls made by students. Murray said there are more than 300 bowls to choose from and the proceeds will benefit the Springfield Family Center Food Shelf and the Miller Art Center. Last year’s event raised $3,000. Murray hopes the event’s popularity will break that goal this year.
“We all were glazing for a couple of days straight. The Springfield High School Arts Academy and the River Valley Technical Center’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts programs have been working on the project,” Murray said. “Okemo Mountain Resort also gave us $2,000 to pay local potter Susan Leader (of Andover). She’s been involved in the last three years and worked with students on the wheels. Hundreds of students were involved in one way or the other.”
As for Springfield Family Center Food Shelf Executive Director Deborah Luce, the Empty Bowl dinner could not have happened at a more opportune time.
“Our food shelf use has quadrupled in the last six months. We’re going through a ton of food and this fundraiser is very important. It’s a great event to address hunger in Springfield,” Luce said.
The Empty Bowl dinner takes place at 5 p.m. in the Springfield High School cafeteria. Meals are $7 and $20 with a hand-crafted bowl. Children ages 3 and under are free. Hand-crafted bowls may also be purchased separately for $6.
The Empty Bowl dinner will also have an art exhibit and a pottery and art sale. There will be vases, mugs, pictures, candlestick holders, and a variety of student artwork to chose from. The Springfield High School Class of 2013 will have a dessert bar fundraiser and a concert featuring the Springfield High School Chorus, the Springfield High School Band and Wind Ensemble, and more. The concert takes place at 7 p.m. in the Kevin Sheehan Auditorium.
For more information, call Springfield High School at 885-7900.
Christian Avard | Staff Writer
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