Super Bowl sanctions ‘Souper Bowl’ for charity

Teens across the nation are transforming Super Bowl Sunday into the nation’s largest youth-led day of giving through Souper Bowl of Caring. 
   
And this Super Bowl weekend, Feb. 4–5, Souper Bowl of Caring will take place as an officially sanctioned event of the 2006 Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee. 
   
Armed with soup pots, teens from all 50 states will be collecting dollar bills at churches, retail outlets and Super Bowl parties to raise funds to benefit local soup kitchens, food banks and shelters. 
   
According to Brad Smith, a South Carolina pastor who originated the event, “By using this weekend as a time to serve the hungry and hurting members of their own communities, thousands of young Americans will be working to transform one of the nation’s universal days of parties into an opportunity to care for their neighbors in need.” 
   
Souper Bowl of Caring began in 1988 with a prayer spoken by Smith at a church event: “Lord, as we enjoy this Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without even a bowl of soup to eat.” Since its inception, Souper Bowl of Caring has collected more than $28 million for local charities.
   
“This will be an especially poignant year for Souper Bowl of Caring,” Smith said. “The Super Bowl is being hosted in Detroit, recently identified as America’s poorest big city. It is a very appropriate location to draw attention to the needs of our nation’s hungry and hurting and to demonstrate how small efforts can make a huge difference.”
   
After a day of fund raising, youth will register their donations via the Souper Bowl of Caring Web site or call center, which will be staffed by youth volunteers from Columbia, S.C. This provides participants the opportunity to monitor the success of their efforts and the collective efforts of youth nationwide online in real time. (EP)