Chef Jason Reynolds spent more than three hours serving chili in the Atrium Wednesday as about 430 students, faculty and Muncie residents devoured more than 60 pounds.
The Ball State University Clay Guild raised about $2,150 with the 2009 Chili Bowl, barely keeping up with customers and resupplying the chili every three to five minutes.
"I spent three days-worth of cutting vegetables for all of this chili," Reynolds said. "We used 25 pounds just of onions."
Co-president of the Clay Guild Tim Compton said preparing and organizing the event was tedious yet rewarding for those involved.
"It's funny how we've been working on making all of these bowls over the course of four to five months," he said, "and in two and a half hours it's all gone."
About half the proceeds went to art students' visiting artist lectures fund, Compton said. The other half went to the Muncie Mission, Second Harvest Food Bank and Little Red Door, a breast cancer treatment center.
Compton said he considered the event a success, and the money will help pay for lectures for art students and equipment for campus studios.
Ted Neal, the faculty adviser for the club, said the Chili Bowl is similar to a larger program called Empty Bowls that gives participants a small bowl of soup that serves as a minimal meal and reminder of what happens every day for people in need.
He said the event was originally going to benefit the Muncie Mission and Second Harvest. Then a member of the club was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the group decided to donate some of the proceeds to Little Red Door.
Compton said the success of the Chili Bowl could be attributed to the cooperation between the Atrium staff and the Clay Guild.
"They deal with all of the hard stuff, we just have to make the bowls," Compton said.
Rodney Brooks, general manager of the Atrium and Bookmark Cafe, said he was happy to help with the event and wished more things like it were happening on campus.
"It has a really good community and a good mood," he said. "There's a lot of faculty that go and wait in line forever, they get really excited about it. It's always a good opportunity to get with a campus group, especially for a good cause."
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