AAW Empty Bowl 2011 Questions

I'd like to know more information about how the bowls for the St. Paul 2011 AAW 25th symposium will be sold. Sold to the attendees (who probably don't need more bowls ???) ??? Sold as a Silent Auction (never a great money maker) ??? If you are attending the event, it may make sense to bring a bowl, but the cost of shipping one just to participate would concern me.

I'm just looking for more information before I decide what I might do. I have contributed 25 bowls for each of the last 3 years to our local Empty Bowl dinner in Monument Colorado which benefits our local Tri-Lakes Cares assistance center (going to the attendees for their $ 20 donation). Several of us have been bringing free wood and bowl blanks to our club meetings over the last few years, and the Pikes Peak Woodturners have been doing 100 to 125 bowls each of those years. I have also donated turnings each year for their Silent Auction. I have donated bowls for the Empty Bowl dinner in central Wisconsin in the past. I have been doing about 10 hours a week of free volunteer medical service at Tri-Lakes Cares as well (probably the most helpful of all of my efforts).

The idea of "think globally, act locally" has been out there for years. It almost seems to me that "acting locally" for Empty Bowls----continuing all of the current ongoing programs, and encouraging every chapter to start and/or support an ongoing similar program would accomplish more than a one time AAW symposium event which looks a little bit like an AAW PR feel good event. I realize that having the AAW program does also promote the expansion of Empty Bowl events internationally which is wonderful. It makes a little sense to invite the St. Paul attendees to bring the turnings, but unless I hear additional information to the contrary, universal participation in the AAW program makes less sense to me than "acting locally". I am open to any additional information for any program to aid those less fortunate in these difficult economic times. More info please.

Dr. Bob (Robert Gibbs)