SOUPER BOWL Heating Up THE COMPETITION

This Saturday, the United Way for South Louisiana (UWSLA) will host its 5th annual SOUPer Bowl at the Courtyard by Marriott from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Over 20 teams, consisting of local vendors and companies, will cook their best gumbo, chili, or soup dishes to compete for the recognition of Houma’s best dish.

For a $5 entry fee, attendees will be able to enjoy all-you-can-eat bowls of gumbo, chili, and soup and vote for the crowd favorite. The event has seen creative dishes over the years, with some teams featuring a fruit soup, crawfish and smoked corn soup, red bean gumbo, and an apple pie soup.

“They get very creative,” says Ashlee Champagne, Assistant Manager of Campaigns of the United Way for South Louisiana, “There is no telling what you are going to taste day of the event.”

At the cook-off, attendees can not only enjoy great food, but also an entertaining atmosphere, with a live band, a tent full of games for the kids to play including a bounce house and the chance to purchase raffle tickets for various donated prizes, which in previous years have included TVs, sporting game tickets, and pirogues. The MVP 5k, also put on by the UWSLA, will start off the day at the Courtyard by Marriott at 9:30 a.m., and participants in that race get a free entry into the SOUPer Bowl.

Along with a delicious variety of dishes and entertainment, this event, which raised over $32,000 for charity last year, is a way for people in the community to give back to UWSLA’s various partnering organizations who service four local parishes—Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne. Some of the organizations and agencies that benefit from the help from UWSLA, that’s been servicing the area since 1979, include: The Haven, The Salvation Army, Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center at TGMC, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, etc.

“All of the money that we raise for this event goes back to our agencies,” Ashlee says, “The money is directly going to the people who are working to improve our community. Not only are you coming and having a good time, but you are also making an impact in our community.”

This year the fundraiser will feature the Manuel Merlos Philanthropic Award, in honor of the late Manuel Merlos who was an avid supporter of the UWSLA for nearly 25 years, served multiple roles in the organization, help create the SOUPer Bowl, chairman since the event started, and help build it to the success it is today. The team that raises the most money from their donated items at the raffle wins this award that honors Manuel, who was well known for his many years of volunteer service and received the Hartwell A. Lewis Volunteer of the Year Award. Ashlee hopes to make the event bigger and better this year to remember Manuel, who meant so much to the community. •

SOUPER BOWL Heating Up THE COMPETITIONSOUPER BOWL Heating Up THE COMPETITIONSOUPER BOWL Heating Up THE COMPETITIONSOUPER BOWL Heating Up THE COMPETITION