Community turns out at Empty Bowls event to support food bank.
By
Amelia Hanks
| 1:00 a.m. November 14, 2018
East County
Neighbors
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University Park's Kris Pizzi and River Strand's Noelle Connor, Nancy Sacarakis, Tina Kashdin, Julie Abraham, Marcia Kelly, Sue Boyer and Joanna Clark had their own definition of matching bowls as they attended the Food Bank of Manatee's Empty Bowls event Nov. 9 at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.
They were all wooden.
Although their bowls were different colors or designs, they were, indeed, wooden instead of ceramic.
"I didn't even see any other wooden bowls," Connor said of the group's collection. "I think we just managed to grab them all."
Those who attended the event could take a bowl home as a souvenir. Proceeds benefitted the Food Bank of Manatee.
Attendees of the event got to bring home a ceramic bowl.
Lakewood Ranch's Marianne Lopata and East County's Katherine Wingert take time out to make sure they get the perfect ceramic bowl to take home.
Waterlefe's Jill Pokorn says the clam chowder she is being served from Lobster Pound Lakewood Ranch by Mary Hunt is the best around.
Sable Harbor's Joe Angers says he just likes to volunteer for a good cause as he serves soup from O'bricks Irish Pub & Martini Bar.
Esplanade's Susan Gillpatrick says she supports Empty Bowls because it's a great cause and she gets to learn about new restaurants.
Bradenton's Gary Tibbetts and Valerie Tibbetts are buying a bowl for Valerie's best friend Jenny Lock, who loves cats, and so they pick out a bowl with a cat on it.
Lakewood Ranch's Mary Pat McSherry is served a kale and sausage soup by Cathy Hobora.
Wilson Structural Consultants Beth Wilson and Erin Kehoe say they are coming out to support Empty Bowls during their lunch break.
Bradenton's Mary Meyer is an expert at wrapping bowls to take home. She has wrapped every bowl for Empty Bowls for the last four years, and has only ever dropped one.
University Park's Jennifer Villarreal knows how important it is to have the perfect bowl –– you have to look at it every day once you take it home!
Neal Communities' Shauna Allen, John Ward and Nattaly Perez say that Empty Bowls is a cause they support, and they get to try new soups.
Popi Ameres serves chicken and lemon soup from her locally famous Popi's Place menu.
The crowd of people at Empty Bowls gets to sample any soup from the available restaurants.
University Park's Kris Pizzi and Riverstrand's Noelle Connor , Nancy Sacarakis, Tina Kashdin, Julie Abraham, Marcia Kelly, Sue Boyer and Joanna Clark use Empty Bowls as a way to catch up with each other.
Bonnie Allen got to stop by Empty Bowls while visiting her daughter, Summerfield's Kelley VanKeuren on a special trip from Chicago.
Edward Jones' Deborah Decker and Kevin Clayton volunteer at Empty Bowls, which cost $30 per person.
