Back to full capacity, an annual fall culinary tradition has returned to help raise money for women in need of an emotional lift, both during and after tragedy.
WE Unite’s annual Soup Off is the organization’s annual soup making competition that sees approximately 200 people compete for the best soup and most creative apron.
This year’s event takes place at Horseshoe Resort on Friday, Nov. 25 beginning at 7 p.m.
Horseshoe Resort sponsors the venue and donates the ingredients, supplies and chefs for participants to make more than 50 litres of soup to donate to Redwood Park Communities.
The competition also features a live DJ and silent auction.
The soup has been donated to Redwood Park Communities for several years now and is the catalyst for their Soup Tuesday tradition.
Every Tuesday, women drop off their kids to a provided babysitter and attend therapy sessions. They then commune over a bowl of soup donated through this event and fresh bread from Homestead Artisan Bakery.
During their recent expansion, Redwood sought a grant to purchase a freezer specifically for the soup to continue the tradition; it used to be delivered a few litres at a time to store in a standard-sized fridge freezer.
WE Unite provides meals to families facing crisis, tragedy and loss. The organization also organizes different memorial initiatives to support community members in their ongoing grief, with their motto being "feed the souls of women so they can feed the souls of others."
Soup Off organizer Teena Sauve says the event has been happening for seven years, but had to take 2020 off for the COVID pandemic.
“We managed to squeeze in a 'pop-up' version of the Soup Off, which allowed us 75 participants due to COVID,” Sauve told BarrieToday. “It affected us as an organization, because this is the only event that allows us to raise money to support us throughout the year for all the other things we do.
"We also noticed that the community needed this event to come back not just for the obvious fun and community spirit, but the opportunity to give back again," she added.
The recipients of the Soup Off are co-ordinated through Redwood Park Communities.
Other services can be accessed by letting organizers know what is happening in your life.
For more information, check out their website.
