Serving thousands for a better future

- Open to the public only on Sunday, February 22, 2009 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Prices at the door: $20 dollars for 15 year-olds and older, $10 for children ages 10 – 14, and free admission for children under the age of nine
- Extra donations are encouraged to benefit Youth Villages


Local restaurants, along with hundreds of volunteers, packed the FedExForum Sunday to serve crowds at the 15th Annual Soup Sunday event benefiting Memphis’ Youth Villages.


More than 2,000 people supported Youth Villages by purchasing a $20 fundraising ticket to sample a variety of soups, bisques, chowders and dessert from 40 restaurants. For some visitors it wasn’t about the food but the cause.


“I have come to this event five years in a row, and each year I find myself thinking how wonderful it is to be part of such a great cause,” said Marlene Richards, 25, a senior law major at The University of Memphis. “Helping the struggling youths is greatly needed in Memphis, and this event draws many to be aware of that.”


Youth Villages is a local nonprofit organization that aides more than 12,000 struggling children and their families each year. These aides include mentoring, adopting, residential treatment and a safe-haven for runaway or homeless teens.


Peter Abell, 30, the development manager of Youth Villages, has always appreciated the public participation and support. He expects this year to raise $70,000 with the money donated and collected at the entrance.


“This is our biggest event and the donations from this will help carry out programs that aren’t government funded,” said Abell. “It will finance spiritual and mentoring programs, as well as a transitional living program for troubled teens.”


Abell recognizes the restaurants and volunteers for being the ones who have made the event possible and successful over the years. Besides the cause, he mentions that a big reason for people returning to support the event is because of the restaurants hot soups, chilling desserts, and caring support from the volunteers.

Thanks to restaurants the people were able to settle their hunger with as much soup and dessert sampling they could handle. For those serving food, it was something else that made them want to come back. It was the smiles for Peter Bonilla, 19, a student at The University of Memphis and part-time server at The Melting Pot.


“I have attended Soup Sunday years before but it is way better on the serving side because I get to see the happiness on the faces of the people being catered too,” said Bonilla. “I don’t know if they’re happy because we’re serving chocolate-covered bananas, but from kid to adult there have been nothing but smiles. I’ll be back next year.”


In addition to the continual service of food, visitors enjoyed entertainment provided by the Memphis Doctors Dance Band. Also, one section allowed parents to let their kids roam wild in a children’s area with a number of featured games, moon bounces, a magician and even Oreo-stacking contests.


“The point of the event is for everyone to have fun,” Abell said with a huge smile. “It is important, though, that we don’t forget the seriousness behind the event and that is to lend as many helping hands to kids in need because they are the future in this city.”