For several years I’ve covered the celebrity bowl-athon at Washington Woods Elementary School and this year, thanks to principal Dr. Brian Williams, I not only took photographs of the event but I was invited to make a bowl.

On March 25, I joined 44 other local celebrities to assist Westfield Washington Schools’ goal of raising funds and awareness for local hunger issues. Like the other celebrities, I started with a blank white bowl. Unlike the others, mine remained blank for several minutes patiently awaiting a brush with paint glaze as ideas bounced around my head.

My artistic talents are behind the camera lens so I wanted to call dibs on the paint by number bowl or drawing stick figures. However, I didn’t want to be the joke of the auction and luckily I had assistance from fourth-grade student Zoe Klink. We came up with a plan to use a stencil and I trusted her eye to select paint from the color palette.

Not to brag but it is the best blue bowl with a white Colts horseshoe and football designed exterior available in the auction. Yes, this exceptional piece of art can be yours during the auction at the district’s Empty Bowls event on April 30.

Nearly 1,000 bowls will be available to the public for a donation from 5 to 7 p.m. at Westfield Middle School. Along with displaying all the art bowls, the district will offer a simple meal of bread and soup. All the proceeds go to local hunger-fighting agencies, including Open Doors of Westfield, Gleaners Food Bank and the Amanda Strong Foundation.

What I enjoyed about being a part of Empty Bowls was how the district took a local issue and got students involved with making an impact through hands-on learning. It also provides a unique creative outlet for students – and a keepsake for parents at a minimal price.