Nebraska Wesleyan University’s third annual Bowls For Backpacks Empty Bowls event raised nearly $8,700.

More than 500 people attended the February 27 soup lunch, which raised funds for the BackPack Program. The program sends backpacks filled with food home with elementary school students on Fridays to ensure they don’t go hungry over the weekend.

Nearly 500 ceramic bowls were made for the event by Lincoln area school students, civic organizations, teachers, trauma patients, and NWU departments, organizations, and alumni.

All proceeds from ticket sales benefitted the Food Bank of Lincoln. In addition, funds raised from the purchase of the event’s ceramic centerpieces were split between the Food Bank and Mourning Hope, a Lincoln grief center. The event raised $7,867 for the Food Bank and $800 for Mourning Hope.

It costs $200 to feed one student for an entire school year through the BackPack Program. Over the past three years, NWU’s Bowls For Backpacks has raised nearly $21,000.

Nebraska Wesleyan’s fourth annual Bowls For Backpacks will be held Sunday, February 26, 2012 in the Story Student Center.