Paint-a-Bowl Fundraiser and Empty Bowls Dinner to Help Williams Fund Support Students in Need

Hand-painted ceramic bowls, created on Paint-a-Bowl Night on March 25, will be used during Old Rochester Regional High School’s upcoming Empty Bowls Dinner fundraiser on April 15. (Photo Courtesy Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55)

MATTAPOISETT — A little creativity and a warm bowl of soup can go a long way at Old Rochester Regional High School this spring, as two upcoming community events combine art, food and generosity to support students in need.

The Old Rochester Regional High School Art Department is inviting community members to participate in Paint-a-Bowl Night on March 25, followed by the Empty Bowls Dinner on April 15, with entry to both events covered by a single $25 donation. Both events are open to community members of all ages and artistic abilities.

Paint-a-Bowl Night will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, in the Old Rochester Regional High School ceramics studio (Room 1914). During the event, guests will select and paint a handmade ceramic bowl created by students in the ORR Art Program. The personalized bowls will then be glazed and fired by the school’s ceramics students and faculty.

The personalized bowls will then be used at the Empty Bowls Dinner on Wednesday, April 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., held in the Old Rochester Regional High School cafeteria. Guests will enjoy a simple meal of soup served in the bowl they hand-painted during the Paint-a-Bowl Night.

Additional bowls will also be available for purchase during the dinner, created and donated by students and faculty involved with the ORR Art Department, Clay Club and Art Club.

Soup for the evening will be generously donated by Blount Fine Foods, and the meal will also include oyster crackers, a cookie and a drink. Attendees will keep their chosen “empty bowl” as a reminder of the hunger and food insecurity that persists in many communities throughout the country and the world.

All proceeds will benefit The Williams Fund, which provides support to members of the Old Rochester Regional school community in times of need. The Williams Fund, established in 2010 by an Old Rochester Regional High School teacher and her family, is a nonprofit organization that provides confidential financial assistance and resources to students and families facing hardship, helping ensure students have what they need to fully participate in school and succeed. The fund helps cover essential needs and school-related expenses such as home heating costs, groceries, field trip fees, and athletic or extracurricular participation fees.

For more information about Paint-a-Bowl Night or the Empty Bowls Dinner, email Joanne Mogilnicki at joannemogilnicki@oldrochester.org or Kate Butler at katebutler@oldrochester.org.

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