EDINBURG — Ramiro Paz prefers philanthropy that fits his talents.

Pottery is one of them.

Paz, an art teacher at Veterans Middle School in Donna, spends hours every spring to mold, shape and decorate about 100 clay bowls that he donates to a good cause.

The bowls - crafted by Paz and others Saturday at the annual Throw-A-Thon, named after the process to shape the bowls - are used in the Food Bank of the Rio Grand Valley's largest fundraiser to serve as a reminder that there is always an empty bowl in the Valley.

Paz, an artist who also paints, said his experience working with ceramics allows him to design dozens of bowls of varying shapes, sizes and colors while giving back to the community.

"You do what fits you," he said as he used a trimmer to shape the bottom of a bowl as it spun around and around on a potter's wheel. "I'm a potter. I can't deny it."

A group of artists, students and University of Texas-Pan American professors bent over potter's wheels at the university Saturday as they made clay bowls.

Hundreds of bowls will be given away later this year at the Empty Bowls luncheon and silent auction, said Kelli Owen, the food bank's special events coordinator.

The bowls are given to participants at the end of the fundraiser to raise awareness of the hunger crisis in the Valley.

The state of Texas is the worst in the country for childhood hunger, with one in four children going to bed without a meal, Owen said. But in the Valley, one in two children goes to bed hungry.

With every person who buys a ticket to the luncheon, the food bank raises enough money to provide 125 meals or buy 250 pounds of food, Owen said. The Sept. 17 fundraiser is more important this year as a greater number of families turn to the food bank for assistance during the recession.

To make the bowls, Paz and others grabbed a handful of clay and placed it on the spinning wheel. While the wheel spins, Paz uses a dab of water to mold the blob of clay into a small bowl.

Once the bowl is dry, he must glaze it and fire it before it becomes a finished product.

Chris Leonard, a lecturer in UTPA's art department, said the bowls don't have to be perfect - and often aren't.

Instead of style, beginning potters are instructed to create volume to show the need in the Valley, he said. Every bowl - regardless of how it turns out in the end - helps with the cause.

"We're worried about function more than form," he said as he watched a group shape clay with their hands. "There's a lot you can do, but it's easier to do the basics."

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.

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Empty Bowls

What: Empty Bowls is the largest fundraiser for the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, offering a silent auction and luncheon to 4,000 people last year. Up to 40 restaurants offer a variety of soup, salad and dessert to attendees.

When: Sept. 17

Where: Pharr International Convention Center, 3000 N Cage Blvd, Pharr

Tickets: Cost is $25. Tickets are available by calling the food bank at (956) 682-8101 or visiting www.foodbankrgv.com soon.