Attendees at this year’s Harvest Manitoba Empty Bowls Celebrity Auction and Dinner are in for a rare treat. On October 16, at the RBC Convention Centre, a bowl handcrafted by Dolly Parton will be auctioned off alongside 30 others, all donated by celebrities, including Hollywood icons, pop and country musicians, sports stars, an astronaut, and a literary legend.

Harvest Manitoba is a non-profit organization that’s been feeding families for 40 years. The Empty Bowls Dinner is an annual fundraising event and auction. This year, more than 100 auction items will be available to bid on.

“The celebrity bowls, each hand-painted by artisans and autographed by celebrities, are one-of-a-kind creations contributed by personalities who share Harvest Manitoba’s vision of compassion and food security,” reads a Harvest press release. “The journey of each bowl is as unique as the celebrities themselves, and perhaps none more so than Dolly Parton’s extraordinary creation.”

The Dolly is more than a dish painted and autographed by a beloved country music icon. It bears a story as unique and interesting as the artist herself.

When Dolly received her bowl from Harvest Manitoba, it arrived at her doorstep broken. Not skipping a beat, she requested another. The new bowl was glazed and fired by Dolly herself, then readied for transport back to Manitoba.

In another twist of fate, the box containing Dolly’s bowl was forgotten on the roof of a transport vehicle and found sometime later by a stranger. Using the return address label on the box, it was safely reunited with Dolly. 

The fateful return of the Harvest bowl inspired Dolly to have a second go at it. Using pearls, feathers, and silk flowers from an iconic stage costume, she transformed it into a one-of-a-kind signature showpiece.

This piece will soon be on display in the home of the highest bidder.

“Every month, Harvest Manitoba supports over 100,000 Manitobans and that number continues to grow,” says Vince Barletta, President and CEO of Harvest Manitoba. “This year’s Empty Bowls is not just a celebration of 40 years of community care. It is also a call to action to help us meet the rising demand for food support across our province. We are deeply grateful to Dolly Parton and all of our celebrity partners—from Jelly Roll to Katy Perry, and so many more—for standing with Manitobans.”

Harvest Manitoba provides food aid to more than 50,000 Manitobans every month and provides a valuable resource for rural food banks across southeast Manitoba.