AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - Opelika-Auburn Empty Bowls had its 2026 fundraising event on Saturday, Feb. 28 to raise funds for the Food Bank of East Alabama. The event lasted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was hosted in the Opelika Sportsplex & Aquatic Center. Participants purchased a $20 ticket that supplied the cost of a uniquely handmade bowl and a happy serving of soup and bread.
Empty Bowls is a worldwide movement led by local artists and craftspeople to raise funds for hungry community members. The Opelika-Auburn Empty Bowls chapter began in 2014, as Sherie Spain, director of the Opelika Recreation Center, made the decision to organize a local chapter. Roughly 700 bowls were crafted by local potters and were used for the event hosted on Saturday. Tickets purchased for the event went directly to the food bank, and have contributed to earning over $200,000 for the East Alabama Food Bank.
