Last Thursday, the Wayne State College Art Club raised about $700 at the first ever Soup Bowl Fundraiser, which was held at Miss Molly’s Coffee Shop on March 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The money that was raised at the fundraiser will go towards financing a trip to Chicago.

“The students volunteered and made the soup, made the foods that we sold, so they really ran the whole thing, as far as getting fundraising for it, making the food for it and also running the event,” Chris Holt, Art Club advisor, said.

The students of the WSC Art Club have been preparing extensively for the event beginning last semester, which involved collecting donations, making the bowls and making the soup and other foods that were sold at the event.

“We wanted to do it in the fall, but we knew the relief for the tornado was more important than fundraising for us,” art education major and Art Club member Lyssa Mayo, said.

About six roasters of chili and chicken noodle soup were made for the event. The soup that was not purchased was donated to a tornado relief event held last week at the Wayne Community Activity Center.

In addition to making all the soup, the students were also hard at work making 133 ceramic bowls, 20 of which were donated by Holt. The students also collected donations from businesses around town such as Pac N Save, Quality Foods, B & B Butcher Shop and Miss Molly’s Coffee Shop.

At the event, students walked in and picked a bowl they liked for $10 each. The students would get either chili or chicken noodle soup in a Styrofoam bowl. They could also buy cookies, rolls or lemonade in addition.

The event was attended by approximately 70 people including college students, faculty members and community members.

“We wanted it to be a way to have the community involved as well as college students,” Mayo said.

The WSC Art Club consists of 15 people who will be going on the trip to Chicago, which is sponsored by the art department.

“The Chicago Art Institute is one of the most renowned art institutes in the world. There are various opportunities to view art from different cultures,” Holt said. “Art is about the visual culture… we will also have the opportunity to go on architectural tours, so it’s a cultural experience.”

The trip is scheduled for April 9-12 of this semester.

All of the bowls that were not sold at the event will be available for purchase at the art sale, which is to take place April 23-24.

Students, faculty and community members can look forward to a Soup Bowl Fundraiser next year that will benefit the Art Club and the community.

“We will definitely try to keep it an annual thing for us,” Mayo said.