By TIM UNRUH

Salina Journal

Brooke and Devin Allen were intrigued by the early stages of shaping clay into a bowl, the part that's noisy.

"You role it up in a ball, take it on one side and throw it on this paper," said Brooke, 9. "After it's beaten to death, you gotta punch it."

Within minutes, the Salina youngsters had their clay in the shape of a pancake. They were among several who put their artistic abilities to the test Saturday morning in preparation for the third annual Empty Bowls Project, a fundraiser for the Salina Emergency Aid-Food Bank.

Salina Empty Bowls founder Denise Chestnut said community members, volunteers from the food bank and Salina Parks & Recreation, the sponsor, are working to make 300 bowls for the Salina Soup Supper from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at the 4-H Building in Oakdale Park.

Pottery activities are taking place in the basement of Memorial Hall at the corner of Ash and Ninth, where the creative crew was hard at working developing unique bowls, some intricate, others outlandish.

With their clay in pancake stage on a piece of rough cloth, the next step was to press it into a Styrofoam bowl where it achieves the general shape.

From there, the youngsters quieted down, and began to create.

"I've got designs on mine," said Ali Allen, 8, sister to Brooke and Devin.

Brooke fashioned a face for the bottom of her bowl.

"I'm still pounding. Mine's going to be like my sister's," said Devin, 4, referring to Brooke's design.

It was more than just fun for the children. They were aware of why they were getting hands dirty.

"It's for the food bank. It's where they store food for people who don't have enough money to buy it from a store," said Carolyn Gutsch, 8. Her brother, Nelson, 5 1/2, hand in mind a bowl for candy.

Bowl making continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Saturday in Memorial Hall. Look for the sign near the entrance at the southwest corner.

Once they have dried a day or two, the bowls are fired in a kiln to reach the bisque stage. Once cooled the bowls are glazed (painted) to add some color and luster, and they're fired again. Kevin Bernhardt, who teaches pottery for Parks & Recreation, is handling the kiln chores.

At the soup supper Nov. 2, adults will choose their favorite bowl for $10 and children 12 and younger can buy one for $5.

"It's a reminder that someone's bowl is always empty, to promote hunger awareness," Chestnut said

The bowl is admission for the all-you-can-eat soup supper. The menu includes eight traditional and gourmet soups prepared by chefs at the Renaissance Cafe, Assaria; Quizno's, 2100 S. Ninth; Best Dinner, 157 N. Seventh; Martinelli's, 158 S. Santa Fe; Gutierrez Mexican Restaurant, 640 Westport; the Salina Country Club, East Country Club Road; and Bill Fekas, 3469 S. Holmes.

Some of the soup recipes will be available.

A retired real estate agent, Chestnut said she was called to bring the national Empty Bowls project to Salina, first by a sibling, Terry Cornellise, Cocoa Beach, Fla. in the spring 2002, and then by the Lord.

"I was visiting my sister. She saw an article in the newspaper and pictures of kids making bowls. We went to it and it was amazing," Chestnut said. "She kept telling me 'This is something you should do.' She kept hounding me. God kept telling me, 'feed my people, feed my people.' At first I said no to both of them."

But persistent prevailed and in November 2002, Chestnut organized her first Empty Bowls event in Salina. Proceeds were split between the food bank and the Salvation Army.

It's been a yearly event for the food bank since 2006, raising about $2,000 a year, but it's poised to grow.

Crestwood, 601 E. Water Well, where Bernhardt works, donated the clay. Folks at the Sunflower Adult Day Care Services, 401 W. Iron, made some bowls last week. On Tuesday, agents at the Coldwell Banker-Antrim Piper Wenger Realtors, 631 E. Crawford, plan to join the crew. Any individual, business or organization is welcome to help by calling Chestnut at 819-3384.

"This year we're getting much more exposure. It's starting to catch on," she said. "More communities are getting involved. We're getting more phone calls. I'm tickled with that."

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.

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