Eat soup, claim a bowl and help those in need

ASHEBORO — If you want to help local charities while enjoying delicious soup, Soup’s On is for you.

The annual event held by Randolph Christian Men is scheduled for Saturday, April 22, at the First Baptist Church Christian Life Center, 133 North Church Street in Asheboro. Meals will be served from 4-7 p.m.

Following tradition, attendees will be able to pick from more than 300 locally made pottery bowls, donated by more than a dozen local potters. 

There will be six varieties of soup, including chicken noodle, chicken and rice, potato, vegetable beef, broccoli and cheese, and taco. The soups are provided by several restaurants and churches. 

Besides soup, the meal will include a salad, dessert and drink.

Along with food, Soup’s On organizers will have a silent auction of donated items. The Randolph Christian Men are continuing to accept items. 

In addition, all meal ticket holders will have a chance to win a 58-inch 4K Ultra HD TV. The drawing will be held at 7 p.m., but you don’t have to be present to win.

Tickets for the meal, silent auction and chance to win a TV are $25. The money collected helps those in need.

Paul Wooley and Larry Cahoon talked recently about the Soup’s On event. They said Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen and Your Choices Randolph would share proceeds this year along with Randolph Christian Men. 

Soup’s On averages about 275 attendees and nets between $9,000-10,000 per year.

It’s the main fund-raiser for Randolph Christian Men, composed of members from dozens of local churches. “We bring men together from all denominations in a Christian atmosphere,” Wooley said. “We meet the first Tuesday every month in a Randolph County church.”

The money raised is used for a number of charities, including Shelter of Hope, Christians United Outreach Center (CUOC), the Boys and Girls Club, the Village of Barnabas and Ignite Randolph, among others. 

Randolph Christian Men also hold an annual food drive for CUOC, host a dinner for local pastors and their wives, and hold a Back-to-School Prayer Night each year prior to the beginning of school. They also hold a marriage retreat every year at Camp Caraway.

Randolph Christian Men was organized 15 years ago and started doing Soup’s On in 2016. Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen has been serving free lunches every weekday for 33 years, and Your Choices Randolph began 26 years ago as Pregnancy Care Center to counsel and support pregnant women and their mates.

Tickets to Soup’s On can be purchased at Asheboro Wholesale, 228 West Ward Street in Asheboro, or from any member of Randolph Christian Men. There will be tickets at the door.

You can also call Chuck Powers at 704-213-0962 for tickets or to donate silent auction items.