Great Bowls of Fire holds silent auction for food bank fundraiser

By Evelyn Myers

It’s a charity event that offers bowls of soup — and the chance to purchase creatively designed artworks by a local potter — to help feed hundreds of people in need across the city.

This year’s Great Bowls of Fire fundraiser, organized by the Ottawa Guild of Potters, will be held March 24 at the Glebe Community Centre.

The 2018 edition will include only a silent auction of artistic pieces, rather than both a live and silent one like in the past.

“People couldn’t hear that well and people preferred to actually just go and look at the items,” said Barbara Minish, president of the Ottawa Guild of Potters.

Minish said the live auction also seemed a bit disruptive. The auction will include numerous pottery pieces created by participating artists.

The Ottawa Guild of Potters and local restaurants are pairing up to organize the fundraiser for the Ottawa Food Bank. Participating restaurants include Il Primo, in Little Italy, and Absinthe Café in Hintonburg.

Attendees will be able to enjoy soup, music, some company, and take home a handmade bowl at the end of the night.

The bowls are made by various artists throughout Ottawa. Tickets for Great Bowls of Fire are $45 and cover everything except items purchased through the silent auction.

The money raised goes directly to the Ottawa Food Bank’s food purchasing, said Samantha Ingram, the OFB’s communications coordinator. “Food Banks Canada has broken down donations to say that one dollar can equal three meals,” said Ingram. “So if you think about it that way, one dollar can feed a person for a day.”

`

Ingram said Great Bowls of Fire has raised about $80,000 in the past five years for the food bank. The average amount raised every year is about $15,000, said Ingram.

Using the OFB’s formula, the food bank could feed 41 people three meals a day for a year with the average amount raised annually.

The timing of Great Bowls of Fire is significant as well, said Ingram.

“The need is still really high in March, but the giving season is over,” said Ingram. “Donations really start to drop off.”

While the Ottawa Food Bank has a farm to grow fruits and vegetables, it’s also closed in March because of the weather. This leaves the food bank relying more on monetary donations at this time of year, said Ingram.

Attendees can look forward to tasting soups such as Absinthe Café’s mushroom velouté, which is a soup thickened with butter or cream, with tarragon and truffle crème fraiche.

Absinthe Café is continuing its long run tradition of bringing mushroom soup because it’s been so well received in previous years, said Patrick Garland, the restaurant’s chef and owner. Attendees can also look forward to trying a new soup from Thyme & Again Catering and Take Home Food Shop. This year, Thyme & Again is bringing a broccoli and green pea miso with pumpkin seeds, crème fraiche, and green pea powder, said owner Sheila Whyte.

For Garland, the fundraiser is a way to give back to the neighbourhood that supported him. Garland grew up in Hintonburg, and said Absinthe Café is always willing to help out when it comes to food banks. “It’s important to support the people in your neighbourhood maybe that are less fortunate or are a little bit down on their luck,” said Garland.

On the night of Great Bowls of Fire, the community shows how generous they are — and for that the Ottawa Food Bank is very appreciative, Ingram said. “I just want to express our thanks and our gratitude,” said Ingram. “This is a wonderful event.”