On Friday, November 9, REACH (Remember Every Action Can Help) club hosted an Empty Bowl Dinner at the Pre-Engineering Center in town. Teachers and students participated for an entrance fee of $20. As Mrs. Sokolnicki states, “we got donations from almost every restaurant in the town of Kent of either soup, bread, or desserts,” which were served at the dinner. REACH received them after students went into town to ask for community support.

At the end of the dinner, each participant received a lovely one-of-a-kind Kent soup bowl. All proceeds raised were donated to the Kent Food Bank and the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen.

Through this fundraiser, REACH was able to raise around $1200 from tickets alone. Mrs. Sokolnicki states that “we were really happy with it and hope to do it again next year.” Members of the club volunteered and actively contributed to the organization of the event, helping set up, serve attendees, and clean up afterward. After both participating and helping out, Baljaa Borgil ’20 comments, “when I was helping clean up the large containers of soup, it amazed me how much was donated. I feel a lot more faithful in our community now.”

A variety of soups were donated by restaurants in town, including Namoo, Kingsley, JP Giffords, The Villager, 109 Cheese & Wine, and the Kent School. Participants enjoyed a variety of tastes at this meal, with dishes including red chili curry soup, chicken chowder, and beef broth. Dessert was a plentiful combination of cookies and cupcakes, featuring creations from Kent Coffee and SoDelicious HomeMade Bakery.

Along with the dinner, REACH hosted a raffle with tickets sold at $5 each. Students gladly participated in this raffle for prizes, which include a $50 gift card to Shanghai, a $25 gift card to Kent Pizza Garden, a $25 iTunes gift card, and a giant jar of candy.

Students, faculty members, and town residents had an evening spent sampling some of the best soups, bread, and desserts that Kent has to offer, with all proceeds going towards great causes.