People were lined up outside for half an hour before the doors to the legion opened Friday morning for the Cariboo Potters Guild's Empty Bowls fundraiser for the Salvation Army's food bank.
All 231 hand crafted bowls made by the potters, and another 40 smaller bowls on the "seconds" table were sold within the first hour of he doors opening say organizers.
The fundraising luncheon ran from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and by 12:20 p.m. all 271 bowls of soup with bread had been sold for the regular price of $15.
After that people continued to arrive at the event and make donations of $5 to $20 in exchange for a bowl of soup even though they didn't get to keep the bowl it came in.
Local restaurants and chefs made and donated the soup and bread for the occasion.
The potters stage their Empty Bowls fundraiser for the food bank every second year and with help from other arts groups and supporters also put on a silent art auction at the same time.
Event co-ordinator Jude Prevost estimates the lunch alone will raise approximately $3,500 for the food bank. The donation will rise even higher when the proceeds from th silent art auction are tallied.