STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The community is invited to take part in a free Peruvian Pachamanca—a traditional earth feast—at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.

Students from Sun Valley Community School’s High and Middle Schools will join hands with Peruvian members of the community and Wood River High School students to cook pig, fava beans and other food in the earth on Saturday, Oct. 12.

The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m.

The event is being organized by The Community Table/La Mesa Comunitaria, a club sponsored by the Sun Valley Community School in partnership with Wood River High School.

“A Pachamanca is a traditional style of Peruvian cooking using earth and stones to cook,” said Paige McNeil, Sun Valley Community School Community Connections coordinator. “The word Pachamanca originates from the Quechua language and means ‘earth pot.’ The Community Table is hosting the event to celebrate and connect with the growing Peruvian community in the valley and welcome them to enjoy a meal and family friendly activities at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, which has generously partnered with us to host this important event.”

The Community Table’s mission is to build bridges between people in the valley by providing meals, joy, resources and a sense of belonging for everyone. The organization has received generous donations from other community partners such as The Limelight, the Youth Generosity Project, Kiwanis, 5B Engine Works, the Papoose Club, and St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

Over the past few years, it has partnered with such nonprofits as The Advocates, The Hunger Coalition, The Alliance and Neighbors Helping Neighbors to organize community-building events around food, children’s activities and resource sharing information.