4/27: Floyd Empty Bowls Event
Floyd, Virginia, April 11, 2025 — The Floyd Empty Bowls event returns for a 14th year with heartfelt purpose, handcrafted bowls, and community spirit, all in support of combating child hunger. Hosted by a team of volunteers, the event will take place on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Floyd County High School from 11am to 2pm.
Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement towns and cities across the world to raise money for food-related charitable support. At this year’s Floyd Empty Bowls event, guests are invited to enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread, served in handcrafted ceramic bowls made and donated by local ceramic artisans (ceramic bowls are included with full meal tickets). These guests can keep their ceramic bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world—and of the event’s mission to help provide weekend meals for children across five schools and the Head Start program in Floyd County.
Proceeds from the event will benefit New River Community Action’s Floyd County Backpack Program, providing critical support for children who might otherwise go hungry on the weekends in our community since 2006. This program currently provides an average of 3,800 monthly meals to students from low-income families receiving subsidized in-school meals, ensuring they have food during weekends. The weekly food distribution expense is approximately $800 a week. The backpack program is volunteer-based; Floyd Rotary members assemble the backpack packages for each student every Wednesday. Since its beginning in 2006, the program has provided over a half million meals to children and will exceed 600,000 meals at the end of this school year.
“This event brings people together in a powerful way,” said Laura Dutton, a long-time Empty Bowls volunteer. “It’s about more than food—it’s about connection, compassion, and making a difference, one bowl at a time. Our attendees also look forward to picking out a handcrafted ceramic bowl to take home after the meal.”
This year’s event is dedicated to the memory of Susan Sutterer, a long-time Empty Bowls committee chairperson, who passed away last July. Susan and her husband, Ron, were both instrumental to the success of Floyd Empty Bowls since the first event was held in 2008.
Tickets may be purchased online at https://newrivercommunityaction.org/empty-bowls-2025/ or at the door (while bowls and soups last). Tickets for a meal with a ceramic bowl are $25 for adults and $20 for children aged 6-12. This year, to help make the event tickets more affordable, no-ceramic bowl tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children with compostable bowl in lieu of a ceramic bowl. The cost of bowl production greatly increased since the first event, so ticket prices were adjusted accordingly. There is also an option to buy a bowl ticket at the event but this is intended to be a community meal not a bowl sales event so the event will be limited to those coming for the meal. Kids aged five and under are free with no ceramic bowl provided.
Updates and additional information can be found on Floyd Empty Bowls’ Facebook page. Early arrival is encouraged, as bowl selection is first-come, first-served.
