Empty Bowls Returns to TerraNova Equestrian Center with Fundraiser to Benefit Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee
Myakka City, Florida, October 30, 2024- The Event at TerraNova is right around the corner and staff at TerraNova and Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee are underway preparing for the second annual TerraNova Empty Bowls charity fundraiser. Following a wildly-successful debut fundraiser during The Event at TerraNova in 2023, plans were promptly mobilized for the second year.
In the spirit of the holidays, Empty Bowls symbolizes the importance of coming together to fill the bowls of our friends and neighbors in need. Ticketed attendees will be able to sample a variety of soups from local establishments before picking their meal of choice including soup, salad, bread, and dessert complete with a keepsake ceramic bowl. Highlight vendors include Taverna Toscana, ATRIA Cafe, Myakka City Grill, Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi, as well as several other familiar favorites. In addition to delicious eats, attendees will be privy to world-class equestrian action as The Event at TerraNova hosts some of the nation’s best eventing riders throughout the competition.
“Our family has been attending soup events to raise funds to feed those in need in the Sarasota/Bradenton area for more than 20 years,” explained TerraNova Equestrian Center’s Co-Chief Executive Officer, Natalee Herrig. “When our children were young, we attended Sarasota’s All Faiths Food Bank events at Phillippi Estate Park. Back then, guests selected locally made pottery bowls and ate the soup right out of those bowls at the event. Volunteers would rinse the bowls in tubs of water as you left. A lot has changed since then! We now have grandchildren, and, although real bowls still play a part, disposable bowls are used to enjoy the soup at the events. What has not changed, however, is the need.”
Since its inception, TerraNova Equestrian Center has centered a large part of its focus on giving back to the community in which it thrives. Funds raised from Empty Bowls will directly impact The Food Bank of Manatee, a PLUS program of Meals On Wheels PLUS of Manatee. As the largest hunger relief organization in Manatee County, the food bank has given out over 58 million pounds of food since 1985 through both local non-profit partner agencies and food pantries, as well as through direct services to the community.
“We are so grateful and humbled to host a Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee (MOWP) Empty Bowls event here in Manatee County at TerraNova Equestrian Center,” adds Herrig. “All funds raised will go directly to MOWP to support not only Meals on Wheels services, but also the many ‘PLUS’ services MOWP provides, including supporting The Food Bank of Manatee right here in Myakka City.”
The Empty Bowls charity fundraiser will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 11am to 2pm at TerraNova Equestrian Center amidst a full day of cross country and show jumping equestrian action as competition heats up during The Event at TerraNova.
Tickets can be purchased at this link or on-site at the door. Parking lot shuttles will be available. The pavilion is wheelchair accessible. TerraNova Equestrian Center is located east of Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota at 31625 Clay Gully Rd. Myakka City, FL 34251.
About The Event at TerraNova: Like an equestrian triathlon, three-day eventing tests the abilities of a horse and rider in three different phases– dressage, cross-country and show jumping. Join us for a gourmet brunch buffet on Sunday, November 17.
TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s premier equestrian destination. Tucked into the picturesque countryside of Myakka City, in Manatee County, TerraNova is a welcoming setting for all levels of equestrian competition. Our equestrian center and estate properties are a short drive from Sarasota’s world-famous beaches, exciting downtown area, shopping, the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport and many diverse cultural events and venues.
