Empty Bowls, full souls

Dear Editor:On Wednesday, March 7, hundreds of people from our community gathered at Bumps at the base of Buttermilk to share a simple meal of delicious soup, fresh bread and yummy desserts. Guests chose from hundreds of beautiful ceramic bowls that were handmade by Aspen Country Day School, Aspen Middle School and Aspen Community School students, for their soup and to take home as a reminder that there are always empty bowls in the world.There was music provided by the Aspen Middle School fifth-grade choir and Nancy Beyea and the band Slightly White from the Aspen Community School. The party was great fun for all. More than $5,600 will be donated to the local charity Lift-Up. Everyone who participated in Empty Bowls left with a full tummy, a warm heart and a nourished soul. In addition to a wonderful community event, this fund-raiser was low impact, due to the fact that guests used handmade clay bowls, spoons donated by the Thrift Shop and cups from the schools. The leftover food was collected for slop for the chickens at Sustainable Settings; the only disposable trash was napkins. This event had a huge community turnout and participation from the students at all three schools, which is a reflection of the incredible community in which we live. We are so fortunate that our community supports the arts and its children.Thank you to Bumps! Henrietta and Barry were very generous. Thank you to all the amazing volunteers, who gave time energy and donations to make the Empty Bowls project happen. Thank you to all the students who created art from their hearts. The following businesses also were incredibly generous: Bumps, The Inn at Aspen, Boogie’s, The Steak Pit, Red Onion, Jimmy’s, Woody Creek Tavern, Little Annie’s, Johnny McGuire’s, Il Poggio, Swiss Gourmet, Aspen High School Café, Louis Swiss, Catherine Baking Company, Aspen Country Day School, Two Rivers Café, Butcher Block, Jour de Fete, Brunelleschi’s, City Market in El Jebel, Cafe Bernard’s, Main Street Bakery and Paradise Bakery.Special thanks to all the amazing volunteers and parents who donated time, energy and food.We, the art teachers, want to thank everyone involved in this project; the students gained an understanding of giving from the heart and the value of helping others.Rae Lampe, Aspen Middle SchoolHilary Forsyth, Aspen Community SchoolPaula Ponto, Aspen Country Day School