St. Lucie Students Raise $14K for Treasure Coast Food Bank at Empty Bowls Event

Student artists from six St. Lucie County high schools raised nearly $14,000 for the Treasure Coast Food Bank at the annual Empty Bowls event held March 14 at the Saturday Morning Farmers Market.

The event drew residents, families, and visitors who paid for handcrafted ceramic bowls and a simple meal — a tradition rooted in the Empty Bowls global movement, which uses art to build awareness around food insecurity. All proceeds go directly to hunger-fighting efforts in the region.

Participating schools included Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, Legacy High School, Fort Pierce Central High School, St. Lucie West Centennial High School, and Lincoln Park Academy. Students created the bowls themselves and many volunteered at the event on the first day of Spring Break.

The nearly $14,000 raised will fund the Treasure Coast Food Bank's ongoing work distributing nutritious food to families across Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties. For a food bank that serves a region where housing and insurance costs have squeezed household budgets, local fundraising events like this represent a direct financial lifeline.

Heather Blackmon-Gordon organized the annual event alongside the food bank's staff. Visual art teachers across the participating schools led students in creating the bowls featured at the market, including works by students Carina Weisfeld and Lilianna Yannopoulos.

The Saturday Morning Farmers Market is held in Fort Pierce. No date has been announced for next year's event.

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