Tasty soups on the menu for Port Cares’ annual Soupfest fundraiser
Port Cares Reach Out Center has seen a 35 per cent increase in the use of its food bank and nearly double the number of people at its hot meal program since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Executive director Christine Clark Lafleur said the agency relies on donations and fundraising as she announced the return of a popular event that “soup-ports” both the food bank and meal program at 61 Nickel St., as well as crisis intervention services and all sorts of family supports.
Soupfest returns as a drive-thru event on Tuesday, April 5, said Lafleur in a release.
“The community has loved our Soupfest event for more than a decade. People loved the drive-thru style last year, so we’ve decided to do it once again and keep the soup-er tradition going,” she said.
Last year, the event sold out with Port Cares staff ladling close to 600 bowls of soup from the Reach Out Centre.
This year’s menu includes Caribbean seafood, Tuscan vegetable and Ramirez hearty chicken, a homage to the Reach Out Centre’s chef, Aldo Ramirez. The soups will come with biscuits and cookies, as well.
In years past, culinary students from Port Colborne High School, Lakeshore Catholic High School, Niagara College, and area chefs made soups for the event.
The release said the soups will be prepared in the reach out center’s commercial kitchen.
Tickets are $25 and provide four portions of soup, biscuits and cookies in takeout containers. Ticket holders can pull up any time between 11:30 am and 5 pm at 61 Nickel St. where they can choose their soups, and goodies while staying in their vehicle.
They can be purchased online by sending an e-transfer to [email protected], while including Soupfest and an email in the description. Tickets will then be emailed. They can also be bought in person at Port Cares, 92 Charlotte St., from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
There will also be a limited amount sold at Boggio’s Pharmacy, 200 Catharine St., in Port Colborne.
Sponsors of the event include JTL, Trenergy Inc., CAN-ENG Furnaces International Ltd., Jungbunzlauer, REMAX Niagara Sold by Kate, Boggio’s Family of Pharmacies, Pinty’s & Olymel, CAA Niagara, Splashtown Niagara, Sessions Port Colborne, Rudders, Ben Berg Farm & Industrial Equipment and Eden Electric.