Signature Taste-Testing Event Returns for Soup Lovers; Incorporates a Community Food Drive

As the season for soup lovers, fall is also a time when many food pantries need help re-stocking shelves for the winter months ahead.

Appleton Downtown, Incorporated (ADI) is hosting an event on October 19 that caters to both. The fifth annual Soup Walk will return to Downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, and feature a diverse selection of homemade soups from15 different restaurants and bars. The popular taste-testing event also incorporates a community food drive.

Since 2008, one of the Soup Walk's main goals has been to bring the Appleton community together in support of an important cause - feeding the hungry. Event attendees and local residents are encouraged to drop canned good donations at participating businesses throughout Downtown Appleton and the Riverfront. There are 10 designated merchants collecting and each will offer special discounts on admissions or purchases in return for donations.

All items collected go to the St. Joseph Food Program, a non-profit organization that supplies hundreds of Fox Valley residents with an average of 30 tons of fresh and non-perishable food every week.

Jennifer Stephany, ADI executive director, said, "The annual Soup Walk is a great way to get the community involved." She explained, "Even if people aren't able to attend the event and join in on the taste-testing fun, they can give back through a food donation and get special savings for their generosity."

A sell-out event for the last several years, the Soup Walk menu will feature everything from a Parmesan Kale Italian Sausage Soup at Bazil's Pub to a Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup from Kangaroostaurant. Sangria's Enchilada Soup, the 2012 Best Soup Winner from Sangria's Mexican Grill, will also be among the line-up.

After taste-testing their way through Downtown, participants can vote for their favorite soup recipe through October 26. Stephany said, "It's always exiting to see which soup is crowned as the favorite. There are so many delicious and creative recipes to choose from."

Appleton Downtown, Inc. (ADI) is a not-for-profit community coalition in Wisconsin dedicated to an economically strong, safe, attractive and exciting downtown. For more information on events, services or businesses in Downtown Appleton, visit http://www.appletondowntown.org.

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