Feature Stories Campus Events All Stories

W&L Hosts Successful Souper Bowl

i-QSNfnt8-X3-350x234 W&L Hosts Successful Souper BowlParticipating restaurants served soup creations – many using locally sourced ingredients – in their own spaces.

Washington and Lee University’s Campus Kitchen (CKWL) and community members helped tackle childhood hunger in Rockbridge County in late January with its annual Souper Bowl event. This year’s Souper Bowl raised $6,000 in donations in support of the Campus Kitchen at W&L’s Backpack Program.

This hunger-fighting project began in 2009 as a partnership between CKWL and local public schools. The program now serves all area elementary schools and Head Start programs, providing more than 750 children with a bag of non-perishable food items to take home for the weekend.

“We are so thankful to everyone who was still able to support the Souper Bowl in this strange year,” said Ryan Brink, Campus Kitchen coordinator. “While we missed seeing everyone in person, the dedication and energy we felt from our restaurant partners, community participants and student organizers was a fantastic morale boost!”

Participating restaurants served soup creations – many using locally sourced ingredients – in their own spaces. This year’s Souper Bowl participants were Heliotrope Brewery, Blue Sky Bakery, Metta Meals, Pronto, Pure Eats, Red Hen, Southern Inn and Tonic.

If you missed this year’s event, you can still make contributions online by selecting “Other” and writing in “Campus Kitchen” when asked where you would like to direct your gift.

The mission of CKWL is to use service to strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities. CKWL combats hunger and promotes nutrition by recovering and reusing food that would otherwise go to waste into balanced meals for low-income members of the community in Rockbridge County, Virginia.


W&L Hosts Successful Souper Bowl Proceeds from the sale of soup at participating Lexington restaurants will support Campus Kitchen at W&L's Backpack Program.

8192557780_839528230c_b-600x400 W&L Hosts Successful Souper BowlParticipating restaurants will serve soup creations in their own spaces with proceeds going to support the Campus Kitchen’s Backpack Program.

Despite COVID-19 challenges, Washington and Lee University and community members still plan to tackle childhood hunger in the Rockbridge area one soup bowl at a time. This year’s Souper Bowl will take place in area restaurants the weekend of Jan. 29-31.

Participating restaurants will serve soup creations –  many using locally sourced ingredients – in their own spaces with proceeds going to support the Campus Kitchen’s Backpack Program.

This year’s Souper Bowl participants are Heliotrope Brewery, Blue Sky Bakery, Metta Meals, Pronto, Pure Eats, Red Hen, Southern Inn and Tonic.

All proceeds will support Campus Kitchen at W&L’s Backpack Program, a hunger-fighting project that began in 2009 as a partnership between CKWL and local public schools. The program serves all area elementary schools and Head Start programs, providing more than 750 children with a bag of non-perishable food items to take home for the weekend.

“We have been able to keep the program going despite COVID-19 because of the support of our local school systems and other community volunteers,” said CKWL coordinator Ryan Brink. “In fact, we have served 100 more students per week than we normally would because of the pandemic. I look forward to this event every year, and I am especially thankful we can keep the event going this year.”

The fundraiser usually makes up for a third of yearly donations to Campus Kitchen. A ticket to attend the Souper Bowl usually costs $15. Members of the community can make a monetary donation, instead of a soup purchase, to support the Backpack Program. Contributions can be made online by selecting “Other” and writing in “Campus Kitchen” when asked where you would like to direct your gift.

“We are incredibly thankful that our community partners agreed to support this event within their own walls this year,” Brink said.