Soup Day A Favorite For Families

Few nonprofit fundraisers have inspired as much passion and loyalty as has Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families’ Northwest Arkansas Soup Sunday.

Why, the event — now in its 17th year — has even inspired groupies.

How can you spot a Soup Sunday groupie, you ask? That’s easy: You’ll find him standing in a long line outside the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers on a certain Sunday in late winter, sometimes as much as an hour before the 4 p.m. event start time. He’ll discuss his strategies with others gathered in line: Will they start with the soup line on the left or the right? Head to the bread table first or hit the dessert table instead? Should they choose a table near the front of the venue or the back? (Trick question: The answer, of course, is whichever table is closest to the soup tureen of a reliable favorite, like Early Bird Catering’s Southwestern Corn Bisque.) And, of course, they’re all holding that one accessory that shows they’re Soup Sunday fans who are really in the know: a muffin tin, the best method of loading up as many cups of soup as possible before settling in for the feast.

“We encourage people to come hungry — skip lunch, even,” says AACF NWA Director Laura Kellams. “Because you’re going to get full. If you’re trying 20 or more soups at a time, you’re going to get full fast.”

This year, says Kellams, AACF expects to have soup from around 30 area restaurants from 4 to 7 p.m. March 4.

With kid-friendly food, a round or two of limbo to live music and free-range balloons, Soup Sunday has become a favorite event for families. Kellams says that isn’t a coincidence.

“We advocate for children and families, and we wanted to have an event that is very family friendly.”

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for kids ages 5 to 17 by calling 927-9800.