An effort to gather food to help feed the hungry in Salina was a big success. The local “Souper Bowl of Hope”, an effort of Salina churches and businesses, coincided with the NFL’s Super Bowl.
The focus of the “Souper Bowl of Hope” was to gather cans of soup, which are donated to five organizations that feed the hungry. Those organizations include:
- Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank
- Salina Salvation Army
- Salina Rescue Mission
- Ashby House
- Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas
The goal was to collect 53,000 cans of soup, in conjunction with Super Bowl 53.
KSAL’s Clarke Sanders organized the effort this year. On Tuesday he called this year’s campaign a “success”.
“The total number of cans of soup collected at the Salina Dillon’s stores and Sav-A-Lot plus cans collected by local churches totaled 14,380,” according to Sanders. “Additionally, we raised enough cash to purchase 38,700 cans of soup for a total of 53,080 cans.”
13 years ago long time Souper Bowl of Hope coordinator Dean Atteberry established a yearly goal of the number of the Super Bowl times 1,000.
The collection effort came at a critical time. The annual “Project Salina” food drive in May helps stock shelves for the summer months. But by late winter, those shelves start to get bare. This year was no exception, with food supplies becoming scarce.
Organizers will do it again next year, with a 2020 goal of 54,000 cans of soup.
