Souper Bowl Follows Big Game with Over $6 Million Collected

By Nathan Black, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, February 13, 2007

As Coach Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts have gone down in Super Bowl history, young people across the nation made a life-saving difference against hunger.

Faith groups raised more than $4 million as of Feb. 9 for the Souper Bowl of Caring, a youth-led grassroots movement in conjunction with NFL's big game. In total, the effort to fight hunger has drawn collections of more than $6.3 million up to date with over 10,600 participating groups. The total count only includes reported figures.

"I don't know much about football, but I do know that Souper Bowl contributions made to the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) World Hunger Appeal and other hunger-fighting organizations will make a life-saving difference," said Sue Edison-Swift, communication director for the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal, in a released statement.

Churches, schools, and organizations stationed collection sites at cities across the nation with canned goods and other foods donated to local food pantries, homeless shelters and global efforts.

"By leading this yearly effort, many of the youth in our church experience the life-changing joy of caring for neighbors in need," said Edison-Swift. "Souper Bowl of Caring is a fine example of God's math. God's math doesn't just add up, it multiplies."

In Whittier, Calif., members of St. Andrew Lutheran Church donated more than 30 grocery bags of canned and boxed food to the Interfaith Food Center, which is said to be one of the largest food banks in California.

Some groups such as high school students at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Mercer Island, Wash., went creative and opened their own Latte cart while the collective effort of thousands in the greater Houston area saw a record 1.6 million pounds of non-perishable foods, which will be directed to The Houston Food Bank and End Hunger Network.

More than $5 million was raised last year. Participants of this year's Souper Bowl of Caring are still submitting collected totals.