A week before the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl triumph, Washington and Lee’s Campus Kitchen got a win of its own.
The annual Campus Kitchen Souper Bowl took place Feb. 2 and brought local chefs together to share their soup with the Lexington community. Proceeds benefited Campus Kitchen’s backpack program, which provides meals to local children in need.
“Overall it was a great showout, and we got a lot of funding,” said Lizzy Nguyen, ʼ25, president of the Campus Kitchen Leadership Team.
The event raised $11,000, according to a newsletter from the Shepherd Program, which oversees Campus Kitchen.
The Souper Bowl is “a staple of the Lexington community and the W&L experience,” according to the university website. Students, faculty and community members paid a $10 entry fee and could taste soups from a variety of local restaurants and Washington and Lee Greek Life organizations, Nguyen said.
She added that Campus Kitchen volunteers also helped make the day possible. They checked people in, handed out plates and spoons and ladled out soup at many of the stations.
“It takes a very coordinated effort,” Nguyen said. “A lot of the day-of work is volunteer driven.”
Volunteer Keegen Dzurko, ʼ28, said he enjoyed taking part in his first Souper Bowl. But he said the event was about more than just raising money.
“It’s a massive fundraiser,” Dzurko said. “But it’s also. . . the community service of being a part of that meal, being a face for the community to interact with.”
During the event, Dzurko said he recognized deans and professors but also met people from the broader Lexington community.
Dzurko said that while the Souper Bowl is one of Campus Kitchen’s most visible events, there are also many other opportunities to get involved.
“Check out everything else Campus Kitchen has,” he said.
According the the university website, Campus Kitchen aims to “strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities through food.” On a day-to-day basis, volunteers take food donated by community members, prepare meals, and deliver those meals to people in Lexington and Rockbridge County.
On Sunday, though, it was all about the soup. Nguyen said she went out of her way to get a complete sampling.
“I literally made a point to eat all of them,” Nguyen said. She said she really enjoyed the ginger-curry soup, but she said her favorite was the vodka sauce with tortellini sausage from Legendary Eats.
Dzurko also said Legendary Eats made the best soup. He said he was glad he was one of the first in line to try the tortellini sausage, which was very popular among attendees.
Nguyen said another major opportunity to engage with Campus Kitchen is Turkeypalooza, which takes place every November. She said that the main attraction is the Pumpkin Pieve-K, where participants donate to Campus Kitchen and run a 5K — and get a slice of pie at the finish line.
“Seeing people get more involved with that would be lovely,” Nguyen said. She also said local organizations like the Rockbridge Area Relief Association, Project Horizon and Habitat for Humanity would also love to see more engagement from the student body.
Anyone interested in getting involved with Campus Kitchen or any of these other groups can go to wlu.givepulse.com for a calendar of local service opportunities. Campus Kitchen offers multiple shifts on a weekly basis.
