The Empty Bottle Fund was born out of a desire to scale the impact of the Wonderland Ballroom’s Annual Sundress Festival, an iconic community celebration spanning over twenty years in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. The event has grown from a moderate gathering in the beer garden to a full block party with over 1,500 attendees annually, a sundress competition judged by rotating community leaders, a fleet of food trucks, and a mainstage featuring local musicians.

All proceeds from the event are donated to the DC Central Kitchen, a beloved nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. Over the past 20 years, the Sundress Festival has generated more than $100,000 for this nonprofit. The event has turned into a quintessential community gathering celebrating diversity and championing the end of hunger.