The annual SOUPer Bowl is a service project for Nease High School juniors enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. The fundraiser was created in 2015 to provide food on weekends for St. Johns County students who rely on the free and reduced lunch program during the week.
Caroline Hunt is on the press and décor teams. Hunt said every member on the press team has emailed and written articles for at least three newspapers. The students are also working on an upcoming radio spot and a segment for a local news station.
“Working on the SOUPer Bowl has helped me grow by pushing me out of my comfort zone,” Hunt said. “I am a staff member of the Nease newspaper, The Vertical, so working with the editors and organizers of newspapers throughout St. Johns County has really opened my eyes to the way a newspaper truly runs and how important it is to work together and effectively communicate.”
One of the décor team projects was to design a “progress board” to illustrate fundraising progress. The team decided to use a “gridiron” that marks progress in $5,000 increments. The board was scheduled for placement in the parent loop of Nease on Monday.
“As of Jan. 7, we have raised a little over $8,000 so far and are hopeful that we will reach our goal of $40,000,” Hunt said.
A $25 ticket allows guests to sample signature soups created by more than 20 local chefs in a tasting event from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 30 at Nease High School in the cafeteria. Some of the soups served last year were charred Vidalia onion bisque with garlic chips and thyme oil, tomato puree with fire roasted eggplant and basil mousse, and a cold lemon raspberry soup with fruit mélange and chocolate.
As a memento from the event, each guest can choose a hand-crafted bowl made by a county student. Elementary, middle and high schools participate in the art project.
Since 2015, the event has raised more than $100,000. This year, the SOUPer Bowl partners with Hugs Across the County to help students in need. The purchase of 10 tickets, or $250, will feed one student for the entire year.
For information or to purchase tickets, visit www.StudentsTackleHunger.org.
