STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Liz Keegan fought back tears as she addressed a gymnasium full of people happily slurping soup from handmade ceramic bowls.

“By my calculation, one of every 75 residences in our valley is here,” said Keegan, who serves on the board of the Blaine County Charitable Fund. “This is community. And you’re here because you care about your community, you take care of your neighbors.”

Indeed, the community came together Sunday at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood for the annual Empty Bowls, which raises money for the BCCF.

Eileen Fastow, Craig Randle and Amanda Javaux were among the volunteers who ladled out the soup.

Individuals and members of organizations like the Girl Scouts had volunteered their time to build and paint 400 bowls at Boulder Mountain Clayworks, which used forms this year to make the bowls more uniform.

And a variety of restaurants, including La Cabanita, Rasberrys and The Chocolate Moose, had donated soups, salads and desserts to fill those bowls.

Former Wood River Women’s Foundation President Sandy McCullough showed up, even though she had spent the past five days eating her way through Seafood Extravaganza, a nine-course Gala Dinner and cooking classes that were part of the fourth annual Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival

“I couldn’t pass this up because it’s such a fun event,” she enthused. “But I’m going to put the fork down as soon as this is over.”

Blaine County Charitable Fund volunteers set up tables in the foyer of the church for those who wanted a more peaceful dining experience.

Sheri and Phil Johnnie also were among those who had splurged at a few events at the Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival but still found room in their tummies for Empty Bowls.

Sheri was happy to try a soup provided by Wylde Beet since she had never been to that restaurant before. Phil was content with the tried-and-true Stan’s Chili from Atkinson Market.

“It’s such a fun thing to do every year,” said Sheri.  “The first year I picked out a big bowl, but they filled it with so much. So, I’ve picked out smaller bowls in the years since—with smaller helpings, I can go back and try a couple different soups.”

Mary Fauth, the executive director of the Blaine County Charitable Fund, told diners that her organization was formed during the COVID pandemic to provide assistance to those who had lost their livelihood because of shelter-in-place restrictions. It served 335 households seeking help with utility bills, rental assistance and medical emergencies last year.

Zoe, Violet and Jenna show off their bowls.

Recipients are always remark how they feel cared for, she said.

“We’ve provided $2.1 million in assistance, putting it back into the community in the last six years,” she added. “We’ve served one in eight or nine people in the county. That means about one place at each of your tables has been helped by the fund.”

One of the hits this year was a soup new to Empty Bowls. Tom Kah Kai, provided by The Hunger Coalition, was a creamy chicken soup made with coconut milk, lemongrass and chilies—perfect, one person observed, for those who might come down with a cold.

Jenna said she has been attending Empty Bowls ever since the beginning, only missing the years her oldest daughter Violet had to go out of town to play hockey. This year she brought her youngest daughter Zoe and the three filled their bowls with CK’s Red Curry Winter Vegetable Soup, Fiamma’s Pasta Fazool soup, La Cabanita’s Chicken Tortilla and a Vegan Posole.

Carla Henrie and Shawn Malarkey can’t wait to get their bowls home where they can fill them with cereal and other goodies.

“We have a lot of these bowls at home—they make perfect soup bowls, she said.

Each bowl came with a picture and a paragraph of someone or some family who has  received emergency assistance from BCCF. One family asked for help when closing costs turned out to be higher than expected when they were about to purchase a home after living here for 15 years. The transaction was made possible with the help of Sun Valley Realtors Give.

Another needed help with rent after she lost income due to abnormal weather.

Richard Linville, who volunteers at a Yellow Jacket at Sun Valley Resort, was among those participating. He recounted how he had gifted his son’s call to BCCF to use for one of its clients.

“Taking part in Empty Bowls is a chance to do something that might help someone,” he said. “And it’s fun. “I’ve been following BCCF for a few years now—what a give back.”