Soup’s On! will take a year off for the first time in 19 years.

Rather than hold its annual scholarship fund-raising luncheon on Friday, January 29, 2021, the St. Kevin Social Justice Scholarship Committee voted at a recent meeting to put the soup-sampling event on pause.

The committee decided uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic influenced planning, preparation and staging of the three-sitting luncheon at St. Kevin parish hall.

It expects to bring back Soup’s On! in January 2022.

The committee regrets disappointing its loyal diners and supporters as well as the culinary students and teachers who gain valuable experience by staging the luncheon.

Each January for 18 years, Soup’s On! has hosted about 350 people at St. Kevin parish hall. For $10 each, they sampled a variety of soups prepared by culinary students from local high schools, from Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute and by a local small business luncheon service.

Over the years, the committee has awarded $52,900 in post-secondary scholarships to local high school graduates active in social justice work in their schools and the community. It has also provided $6,150 in allocations to special projects.

In 2019, three graduates from Lakeshore Catholic High School in Port Colborne, Notre Dame College School in Welland and Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School in Grimsby received $1,000 scholarships.

In addition, a special $1,000 presentation was made to the Sacred Heart Sisters in Welland to support their community services, which include a daycare program and visitations.

While Soup’s On! 2021 will not be held, the committee voted in favour of awarding scholarships to 2021 high school graduates. It will outline details early in 2021.

For information contact Joe Barkovich at 905-735-3562 or Wayne Campbell at waynedcamp@gmail.com or 905-714-5625