A chilly night for chili – and other soups – at the Rotary Soup Supper

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

It was a good time for hot soup this weekend as the Charles City Rotary Club hosted its annual Soup Supper fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 13.

“We’ve done this for as long as I can remember,” said Tammy Elthon, one of the event organizers.

Set up in the Elks Lodge, where the club also holds its weekly Monday noon meetings, people braved the wind and snow to enjoy a selection of soups made by the Rotary volunteers. The cold did hamper turnout a bit from previous years, club members said, but overall they said they were pleased with the results.

“In spite of the cold we served about 100 meals,” said Elthon.

Chili, chicken noodle and cheesy potato were all on the menu, accompanied with slider sandwiches, crackers, relishes and homemade pie for dessert.

Planning for the supper starts in December, with group volunteers spending about a month to prepare and organize the meal. It takes about 20 volunteers to host the event, from taking tickets to serving soup to washing dishes.

“It’s a great team effort from the Rotarians,” said club member Kay Winkelman.

The Rotary Soup Supper raises funds to support numerous projects for the organization, such as scholarships and tree plantings for the community.

Coming up next for the Rotary Club is the annual Rotary Radio Auction on Saturday, Feb. 3.

One of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the club, the auction will invite KCHA listeners to call in and bid on a variety of items donated by Rotary members and area businesses,  from 9 a.m. to noon, with proceeds this year split between the Rotary Club and PAWS Humane Society.