Souper Bowl event will help local Boys and Girls Club

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Volunteers Joanne and Daniel Verstat serve up homemade soup at Souper Bowl 2011. | SUBMITTED PHOTO

Updated: February 27, 2012 8:31AM

JOLIET — Whet your Super Bowl appetite a day early with a local church’s Souper Bowl varation.

This unique fundraiser for the Boy and Girls Club in Joliet features homemade soups and chili; music by local blues artist Marty “Big Dog: Mercer; a raffle; and a free “stats and starters” booklet that isn’t just about football.

“When we started the church, we wanted to reach out to the community,” said Steve Hinkle, pastor of Istoria Church. “Because we didn’t have many resources, we wanted to do something nice for a charity that was already doing great things in the community.”

Hinkle, a former junior high youth pastor at a Louisiana church and senior high youth pastor at a Virginia church, had twice participated in the national Souper Bowl program (www.souperbowl.org).

The program has youth collect donations for food-related charities in the weeks prior to the Super Bowl game.

Since its 1990 inception, the movement has raised $81 million. Hinkle modified the national program to bless the Joliet community and called it “Buy Soup, Change Lives.”

In its first year, 20 volunteers served a variety of homemade soups and chilis for $5 and donated the proceeds — $900 — to the Spanish Community Center. Last year, Mercer offered to perform for free, and Hinkle and his crew of 30 raised $1,000 for Lamb’s Fold shelter.

This year, Hinkle’s Souper Bowl will include a raffle — an arm’s length of tickets costs $10 and can be applied to the raffle items of the buyer’s choice — and the event’s signature’s “stats and starters” booklet.

This ad booklet includes important football player facts and information on halftime entertainment, but also statistics on local charities and 25 appetizers suitable for enjoying the big game.

“They’re all simple, party-type recipes,” Hinkle said, “everything from chicken wings to dips for chips, and yes, even soups.”

Mostly, participants will help a local organization and enjoy some terrific homemade soup and chili.

Chicken noodle soup is a favorite, so Hinckle and his family are preparing a big kettle, along with two varieties of their special chilis.

Potato soup is also well-liked, as is vegetable soup.

“One man even promised to bring his special Polish soup,” Hinkle said. “He said his family makes it all the time and it’s great.”