Ross Lower School Hosts Thanksgiving Fundraising Event For Island Harvest

Ross Lower School in East Hampton hosted an Empty Bowls, an international grassroots effort to fight hunger, event during the annual Thanksgiving lunch which raised money for Island Harvest, Long Island’s largest organization helping to feed the hungry, on Friday, Nov. 21.

Students, faculty, parents and members of the extended community participated in the charitable event, which sold over 200 bowls and raised over $3,000 for Island Harvest. A portion of that money will be used to purchase turkeys to give as a gift to a family in need for Thanksgiving.

Preparations for the fundraiser were led by Visual Arts Teacher Soraya Brooks and the Lower School Parents Association. In recent weeks, each student in Early Childhood through grade 6, as well as faculty, staff and parents, made ceramic bowls to sell at Friday’s Thanksgiving lunch. Bowls made by local potters were also donated by The Clay Art Guild of the Hamptons in Water Mill. The final result was a beautiful display of creativity and compassion.

“This was a great opportunity for everyone in the Ross community to be creative together and learn about making art which can make a difference in your community,” Soraya said.

The assembly also included a concert by Lower School students who volunteered to practice after school and sing at the event. They performed a beautiful rendition of “We are the World” and several moving solo songs. Local professional musicians Dan Koontz and Bruce Beyer accompanied the student singers and played the keyboard and drums.