W&L’s Campus Kitchen Hosts 12th Annual Souper Bowl All proceeds from the Feb. 4 event will support the Campus Kitchen at W&L’s Backpack Program.

By Emily Innes
January 22, 2024

Next month, community members and local college students can fight childhood hunger in the Rockbridge area one soup bowl at a time by attending the 12th Annual Souper Bowl at Washington and Lee University.

The event will take place on Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Evans Hall. Participating restaurants and caterers will serve a selection of soups for attendees to enjoy, with in-person dining and to-go options available. Attendees will also be serenaded by W&L student bands and acapella groups, which will perform throughout the event.

Tickets are available in advance and can be purchased online here. The cost is $10 for students and children and $15 for adults. All proceeds benefit the Campus Kitchen at W&L’s Backpack Program, a partnership between CKWL and local schools.

This year’s Souper Bowl participants include Bistro on Main, Campus Kitchen, CHEFS Catering Company, Kitchen, Glowbowl Café, Hardens, Heliotrope Brewery, Legendary Eats, Lexington Catering Company, LexVegas Bistro, Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, Pronto, Pure Eats, the Rockbridge Jewish Community, The Georges and W&L Dining Services. The event is also sponsored by Center of Gravity Yoga and Pilates Studio, Cornerstone Bank, Flex Fitness, Lex Running Shop and Lexington Smiles.

“It’s hard to say what the best part of the Campus Kitchen Souper Bowl is, between the delicious soups donated by local businesses and organizations, the performances by W&L students, and the opportunity for members of the campus and local communities to come together for a good cause,” said Ryan Brink ’18, assistant director of the Shepherd Program and CKWL coordinator. “This event is a highlight of the winter, and we at Campus Kitchen are incredibly grateful for the continued support we receive from folks and organizations throughout the community. Thank you to everyone who has supported us in the past as we work to address the meal gap experienced by our local students. I hope anyone who isn’t familiar with the Souper Bowl will give it a try this year!”

Since 2009, the CKWL Backpack Program has provided non-perishable breakfast, lunch and snack items to children receiving free and reduced lunch in schools throughout Rockbridge County. The program currently delivers 650 backpacks each week to preschoolers, elementary school students and middle school students in the local school districts.