EmpTea Bowls fundraiser set for ninth year
Dr. John Wilson Community Garden to host annual party
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 31, 2023
The Dr. John Wilson Community Garden will host its 9th Annual EmpTea Bowls fundraiser, from 4 - 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Photo by Fred McCormick
A local tradition that supports sustainable gardening and nutritious food will return to Black Mountain, from 4 - 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 3, as the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden hosts the 9th Annual EmpTea Bowls fundraiser.
The event, which will feature hand-made bowls, herbal teas and live music by the Blushin’ Roulettes, supports the garden’s internships and educational programs.
Local restaurants and gardeners will provide food for the fundraiser, which includes keepsake pottery donated by local crafters for attendees who purchase tickets. Participants can choose a bowl, sip tea and keep the item as a reminder of folks whose bowls are often empty.
The international fundraising model is a fitting one for the garden, which donates more than 6,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to local nonprofit organization Bounty & Soul each year. That produce is available through Bounty & Soul’s bi-weekly Produce tot the People markets, which serve area residents struggling with food insecurity.
The garden, named for founder and designer Dr. John Wilson, who passed wat in 2016, boasts approximately two dozen communal plots that are dedicated to providing food for community members in need, while gardeners who harvest on the land agree to donate 10% of their individual harvests.
Wilson, who established the garden with the Town of Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department in 2004, believed “everyone in our community needs a place to grow food, access to agricultural education about best practices, and that together we should share what we grow,” according to the town’s website.
EmpTea Bowls offers the public an opportunity to learn about the purpose and benefits of the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden while supporting its work. The fundraiser’s goal is to raise $12,000 through ticket sales, donations and its silent auction in 2023.
Admission is $25 for ages 15 and up, $10 for ages 4 - 14 and children 3 and under may attend for free.
The garden is currently accepting monetary donations as well as art, products and services for our events silent auction, and private and corporate sponsorship. Volunteer opportunities are also available for the event, which will be held at 99 White Pine Drive.
Tickets can be purchased on the Town of Black Mountain Parks & Recreation Community Garden website, linked here. More information, including registration for volunteers, is also available on the page.