Wilfrid Laurier University‘s 28th annual Empty Bowls event raised more than $49,000 to help fight hunger in Waterloo Region, bringing the community together on May 27, 2026 at Lazaridis Hall.
The money will provide 98,664 meals through The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, which supports nearly 73,000 adults and children who rely on food assistance locally.
Since the first local Empty Bowls in 1998, these events have helped supply more than 1.6 million meals. This year’s record-setting total marks a jump from the $39,000 raised at the 2024 gathering.
The evening featured gourmet soups served in handcrafted bowls donated by artisans from the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop, with attendees including Mayor Dorothy McCabe. Suzanne Luke, university art curator at Laurier’s Robert Langen Art Gallery, organized the event alongside the potters’ group.
The fundraiser comes as food bank visits in the region have surged. Between July 2024 and June 2025, there were close to 622,000 total visits to food hamper programs — a 205 percent increase since 2019 and the highest on record.
