Arts and Entertainment

Ann Randeraad and the Empty Bowls Headwaters Event at the Alton Mill Arts Centre

October 23, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Local potter Ann Randeraad is bringing the Empty Bowls Event to the Alton Mill Arts Centre on Nov. 2.

“The Empty Bowls program started in the U.S. about 30 years ago. When I began as a potter, there was no place to stage it. I wanted to do this, but there was nowhere to do it,” Randeraad told the Citizen.

Her first concern is that Empty Bowls International be given credit for the original conception, and they request that people register with them.

She said. “When people come and chose a bowl just for themselves as a community aspect of raising funds, that concept is so fantastic we need to give them credit.”

This means the appropriate programs will benefit; some raise money for other programs using this format.

When Randeraad started Empty Bowls, there were not many potters in the area, and only a few could contribute. There are a few other professional potters in the area, but making a living from pottery is rare, she noted.

After the bowls are made and a venue has been confirmed, lots of things happen before the event, such as picking a date.

“Alton Mill has been a fab host,” she said. “The Alton Legion was a fantastic space during COVID. It allowed for drive-through, or people could come in with space between them to pick up their bowls.”

Next is to plan for the marketing end, to choose the image, and for this, Randeraad thanks graphic designer Dawn Friesen, who has been a great support over the years.

“I met her at the Alton Mill,” said Randeraad. “She still designs the poster of Empty Bowls for all these years.”

Once the marketing material is ready, they rely on volunteers to distribute it at locations such as coffee shops, arenas, and other places where posters can be seen.

In the meantime, they have to seek out soup providers and bread – all part of it.

“This whole region has fantastic community caring,” she praised it, “No matter what I do, this event would never be successful without the community coming out to support it.”

Here is how Empty Bowls works: you buy a bowl by purchasing a ticket for $65, a price increase due to the ever-increasing cost of food.

When you visit the Alton Mill on Nov. 2, you’ll notice a table inside with over 80 bowls, each one unique in both appearance and shape.

Choose a bowl, which you keep; take it to a washing space, get it washed; go to the soup station, choose your delicious soup. There will be lists of ingredients for dietary cautions.

Take a piece of bread, for the invitation is for soup and a piece of bread. If you can not resist having another round of soup, there is a small $5 charge.

You are at the Alton Mill. Sit and enjoy the ambiance. The Mill is open until 5 p.m., so there is time to stroll and visit.

Whatever is left over of the soup goes to one charity. Randeraad wanted to remind people that there is a food drive too, for non-perishable items.

The ripple effect is clear as Randeraad said, “Later, when they use their bowls and the story gets told again, Some have bought bowls over the years to collect and as gifts. I’ve has been doing this for 16 years; that’s 3,000 bowls.”

She offered her thanks as well to Tree House Pottery in Belfountain for donating bowls for a long time.

In any given year, 300 tickets are printed, so there needs to be 330 bowls. Although she reserves bowls, there have to be new ones too.

Randeraad makes 250 bowls a year.

“I have been based in Laurel – been for my whole life. I keep doing this because I just really believe that when you can give back, you give back. In the last number of years, we’ve been supporting smaller food programs that aren’t as visible.

“Other people help, including the food bank – we are all drawing attention to the community and challenges in the lives of people, not always simply money.”

She grew up in a poor farm family with nine children and remembers eating potatoes for ages because that’s what they had.

For Ann Randeraad, if you don’t have food, you can’t live; food comes before shelter; it is the strongest need within society.

This year’s soup providers are Gourmandissimo, Mrs Mitchell’s, Rays, Osprey Valley & Greystones.

The Empty Bowls Headwaters event is at the Alton Mill Arts Centre on Nov. 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: there will be soup ready to go!

Please bring non-perishable food items.

Tickets are available at the door on Nov. 2 at BookLore in Orangeville, Gourmandissimo in Caledon East and from Ann Randeraad herself at the weekly Orangeville Farmers Market.

Readers Comments (0)