Soup Sunday has aided families and children for nearly 40 years
Soup Sunday is a family tradition for Kimberly Davis, her husband and their three daughters.
In its 39th year, Soup Sunday is one of the oldest fundraising events in Central Arkansas, and it is the largest fundraiser for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Davis and her husband, Ryan, are the co-chairs of the Feb. 23 event.
“We are kind of all foodies,” Kimberly Davis says of her family. “We get that from my husband. Not only do we enjoy the event, we love the purpose and the cause of the fundraiser. … It is something we can get behind and support and having fun doing it is a plus.”
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families was founded in 1977 by a group of prominent Arkansans who believed that children needed an “independent force to provide information and education to parents and citizens about our state’s policies toward children and families,” according to the organization’s website.
Arkansas Advocates provides leadership, research and advocacy to promote wide-ranging reforms that have improved the lives of Arkansas children.
Davis’ support of Arkansas Advocates was ingrained by her mother. Davis grew up in Lee County and her mother was a schoolteacher. She watched as her mother would shop for coats and other clothing for students whose parents could not afford appropriate attire.
“I’ve always been around people who look out for children — who want to nurture children,” she says. “And my husband has always been a youth advocate.”
A whopping 1,500 soup lovers are expected to converge on the Statehouse Convention Center for the 4-7 p.m. event. Last year’s event raised $118,000 and the organization is hoping this year will bring in $135,000.
Soup Sunday veterans take a 12-cup muffin tin to hold the soup samples to the event. About 30 different soups from many of Central Arkansas’ favorite restaurants will be available. For newbies — or those who don’t want to supply their own
tin — four-cup paper holders will be available.
The Davises have attended Soup Sunday for many years. They bring their daughters Delaney, 10; Sarah, 8; and Ella, 5. Both their mothers also join them. Delaney thinks she is also co-chairing the event, her mother reports.
“She’s been telling her friends about Soup Sunday and she’s been asking us what restaurants will be there this year and she always has a favorite soup,” Davis says. “And then she wants to go to the restaurants of the soups that we sample.”
This year’s featured chef is Trace Munday of Sauce(d). He won the inaugural Golden Label award at the 2019 Soup Sunday for his carrot-lavender concoction.
“Trace is very competitive and he wants to win it again,” says Fran Carter, development director for Arkansas Advocates. “So he is putting down the gauntlet for other chefs to bring their game.”
Davis says she has never made it through all of the soups — filling up well before the finish line. Desserts and breads are also served.
“Those are some pretty decent samples that you are getting,” Davis says. “The ticket price is definitely worth the money — not only for the cause but you will leave as if you’ve eaten a full meal.”
Individual adult ticket prices are $35 in advance, $40 at the door; $10 for kids 5-17; and kids under 5 are free. The organization is considering raising the general ticket prices to $40 in 2021 in honor of the event’s 40 anniversary.
Carter says the organization purposely keeps ticket prices low so families “don’t have to spend a fortune” to attend with their children.
“This is definitely a family-friendly event,” Davis says. “It’s helpful to be able to take the entire family to something that everyone can enjoy and then not hurt (financially) for the two weeks because of it.”
Patron tickets are $60 per person. Those guests get access to a VIP space where they can sample special soups and goodies from Sauce(d) that will not be available in the main ballroom. The VIP area also includes complimentary beer and wine.
There will be activities for kids — including the popular dance floor where the little ones can kick balloons while getting their groove on with DJ Paul Grass.
Rob Evans of KTHV-TV’s morning show will serve as emcee. The event also includes silent and live auctions including a dream vacation in Costa Rica.
Davis and her husband and a few other couples were the winners of the Costa Rica trip in 2017.
“It was lovely because we went in December and there it was just completely tropical weather,” she says. “And the beaches were lovely.”
The attire is come-asyou-are; some guests opt to wear jeans while others come straight from church services.
“I think we have good diversity in our audience of people who come in turns of ages and ethnicities,” Carter says. “It’s a good representation of the whole community.”
To buy tickets or for more information about Soup Sunday, go to aradvocates.org.