SOUPER BOWL: Idaho Falls high schoolers hope to raise 100K cans

IDAHO FALLS — High schools in Idaho Falls School District 91 are hoping to raise 100,000 cans of food in its annual “Souper Bowl.”

The food drive will be held Jan. 18 to 29. District spokeswoman Margaret Wimborne said food donations will be distributed mostly to the Community Food Basket as well as the local Soup Kitchen and the Skyline High School food pantry.

The kickoff event will be at Skyline on Thursday, Jan. 14. It will include presentations highlighting the needs of the community from various business leaders, such as Bud Langerak, director of the Community Food Basket.

Although the food drive was originally focused as a competition between Skyline and Idaho Falls high schools, Wimborne said in recent years, the focus of the food drive has changed.

“It’s really less about the competition,” Wimborne said. “The focus between both schools is now set on working together to meet that goal.”

Nicolas Stubblefield, student body representative for Idaho Falls High School, said the goal is for each high school to raise 50,000 cans. He said they have met with local businesses and established areas for each school to target.

Stubblefield and Baerett Nelson, Idaho Falls High School’s student body president, are spreading the word about the food drive through social media. Prizes will be given to the top three classes that can get their student body most involved.

Nelson said there will be a basketball game between Skyline and Idaho Falls on Jan. 27, which will include a five-minute fundraiser to see which school donates the most money during the game. She said the winning team will get to throw a pie at the head cheerleader and student body president.

Last year, the Souper Bowl raised just under 92,000 cans.

“(Souper Bowl) is the biggest effort that the district does to help out the community,” Stubblefield said.