Bowls of Hope

Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar won the Chef’s Super Soup Award

Sal’s Cafe won the People’s Choice Golden Spoon Award

Our 2023 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit, which marked its 10th year, was a super success! Two Somers Point restaurants received the top awards for their New England Clam Chowders. Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar won first place in the Chef’s Super Soup Award and Sal’s Cafe won first place in the People’s Choice Golden Spoon Award. Some 400 people filled the school gym to taste delicious signature soups from area restaurants and then voted for their favorite soup for the People’s Choice Golden Spoon Award, which was presented to Sal’s Cafe by Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen, Upper School Principal Meg McHale, and Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz. Chef Joe Massaglia of Mama Mia’s Ristorante in Marmora chose his favorite soup for the Chef’s Super Soup Award.

Coming in second place for the Chef’s Award was B.F. Mazzeo in Northfield, with its Butternut Squash Soup, and Chick-fil-A Fire Road received third place for its Tortilla Soup. For the Golden Spoon Award, Towne & Country Cafe came in second place with its Tomato Basil Soup, and Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar placed third.

For B.F. Mazzeo and Chick-fil-A Fire Road this was their first time competing in the Cook-Off. This is the third time that Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar has received the Chef’s Super Soup Award, with prior wins in 2018 and 2023. Sal’s Cafe is also now a three-peat winner, previously receiving the People’s Choice Golden Spoon Award in 2017 and 2022.

The Bowls of Hope showcased 18 restaurants and chefs in and around Atlantic County serving up their specialty soups and competing for the awards. Atlantic Christian high school students were among the some 50 student and staff volunteers who helped serve the soups and worked behind the scenes in the kitchen, with set up and clean up, selling tickets, and more.

7th grade Nino Miranda won first place in the Bowls of Hope Student Video Contest.

During the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off, ACS students from elementary to high school entertained the audience as they sang, danced, played the piano and violin, and even kicked and leaped with ninja-like moves as part of the Student Talent Show.

7th grader Nino Miranda was also recognized during the evening for winning first place in a Bowls of Hope Video Contest for creating a video to help promote the event. Two runners-up finalists in the video contest also were recognized — 11th grader Zachary Fosbenner and 6th grader Jennyfer Loiza-Riveros.

The Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off, which was launched in 2013, is a community-building fundraising event aimed at blessing community-focused nonprofits in southern New Jersey. The proceeds from ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations of the 2023 event are benefiting Atlantic Christian School and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. Overall, over $8,600 was raised from the 2023 cook-off and Ms. Amy Williams’ 5th grade class came in 1st place in our classroom fundraising contest, raising $277.50.

ACS presents a check to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission from the proceeds of the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit.

Students in Mrs. Ashley Brossman’s 2nd grade class collected the most non-perishable items for the food drive among all PreK2-12th grade classes — 1,118 items.

On March 9, ACS presented the Atlantic City Rescue Mission with a check for $1,517 from the proceeds of the Bowls of Hope to help fund the Mission’s important work meeting the needs of the homeless in Atlantic City and surrounding communities.

Accepting the check on behalf of the Rescue Mission were Pastor Bill Warner, Vice President of Biblical Education and Policy, and Sara Franklin, Chair of the Mission’s Board of Trustees. The high school students who helped present the check are members of the Student Council, who volunteered at the Bowls of Hope fundraiser. Also participating in the check presentation were Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen, Upper School Principal Meg McHale, and Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz.

Concurrent with the Bowls of Hope, a school-wide Food Drive was held from mid-January to February 4. Many of those attending the Bowls of Hope Cook-Off also brought cans of soup and other non-perishable items for the school’s food drive to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch. The food drive collected over nearly 2-1/2 tons of food, a school record, which was donated to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. High school Student Council members, who helped organize the Food Drive, packed up and loaded the donations into large boxes that were picked up by a FoodBank truck on February 9. Ashley Brossman’s 2nd grade class won first place among all PreK2-12th grade classes for collecting the most non-perishable items — 1,118 items — and received a pizza party as their prize.

High school Student Council members packed nearly 2.5 tons of food donations into large boxes that were picked up by the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch, on February 9.

With Appreciation to All Participants & Supporters

Sponsors

3’R Premium Commercial Cleaning Service
American Church Group of NJ
B.F. Mazzeo
Chick-fil-A Fire Road
Clayton’s Self Storage
Formica Freitag Bakery
Fortress Financial
HS Restoration & Cleaning Service
Olympic Physical Therapy
ServPro of Egg Harbor Township/Ventnor
Texas Roadhouse

Restaurants

Atlantic City Rescue Mission Kitchen
B.F. Mazzeo
Carluccio’s
Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant
Chick-fil-A Fire Road
Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar
Jing Sushi House
Juliano’s Pub & Grill
Maurizio’s Pizzeria Express
Mays Landing Diner
Mia’s Café
Root Cellar Tavern
Sal’s Café
Sana & Sadia’s Mediterranean Bistro
Sofia Restaurant
Stir It Up Catering
Towne & Country Café
The Windjammer Café-Bar-Grille