Soup’s on! One of the biggest fundraisers of the year in Bremerton comes to Olympic College Saturday. The Empty Bowl, which started in a church in 2009, has grown to the confines of the Bremer Student Center.

All proceeds benefit the Bremerton Foodline.

The concept is simple and has really taken off here. Using the symbol of an empty bowl, two main groups of artists — those skilled in pottery and those of the culinary variety — come together to battle community hunger.

The result: more than 50 gallons of soup are served up starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, made by some of the most talented chefs in Kitsap County, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 470 clay bowls are crafted beforehand, for donors to take home.

Christine Davis, who has chaired the event for five years now, has watched it grow from raising $2,300 her first year to more than $17,000 at a packed Bremerton Eagles hall last year.

“Empty Bowl is such an amazing collaboration of artists, chefs, businesses and community members who come together for one cause,” said Kate Cofer, president of the Bremerton Foodline’s board of directors. “It’s great to see such an outpouring of love and support for people in need in our community.”

Dr. David Mitchell, Olympic College’s president, said the college is “thrilled” to have the growing event on campus for the first time.

“Olympic College is about community and it is rewarding to see local organizations working together to assist fellow Kitsap residents who are in need,” he said.

The Olympic College Clay Club has been involved before. In fact, two artists — Darroll Clark and Charles Martin — have been competing to see who can make the most bowls. I am told they’re nearing 100 each.

“I just feel better about doing art when I’m contributing to the betterment of my community,” Clark said. “Empty Bowls inspires great collaborative effort and aligns well with my love of creating in clay while working with others to help a community.”

Tickets are $30 and available at the door Saturday or by contacting emptybowlbremerton@gmail.com or 360-286-4754. Alternatively you may contact 360-479-6188 for more information or go to Bremertonfoodline.org.

Oh! And lest I forget, here’s the menu for Saturday.