This school won Bergen County's inaugural 'Souper Bowl' fundraiser

Kristie Cattafi, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read

HACKENSACK — More than 3,000 cans were collected by Bergen County Technical School District students as part of the county's first annual "Souper Bowl" event.

The students teamed up with the Bergen County Food Security Task Force, part of the county's Department of Human Services, for the inaugural event to coincide with the NFL's Super Bowl this month.

In the spirit of competition, Bergen County Academies Hackensack and Northern Valley Demarest/Old Tappan Program faced off with Bergen Tech Teterboro, Paramus Tech and Applied Tech High School to see who could collect the most cans.

Students collected food cans at their schools from mid-January to the Friday before the game, with the Bergen Tech team coming out on top by collecting more than 2,000 cans.

Over 3,000 cans were collected by Bergen County Technical School District students as part of their first annual "Souper Bowl" event.
Over 3,000 cans were collected by Bergen County Technical School District students as part of their first annual "Souper Bowl" event.

“This friendly competition for a cause supports the critical work of the task force and our local food pantries across our county," Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said in congratulating the Bergen Tech team. "I would like to thank everyone who took part in the inaugural competition and look forward to seeing it grow in the years to come.”

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The donations were distributed to local food pantries last week, with the Bergen County Academies team donating to the Center for Food Action in Hackensack and the Bergen Tech team donating to the Open Door Community Center at North Jersey Vineyard Church in South Hackensack. The cans will be part of the regular food distribution for clients at each pantry.

Over 3,000 cans were collected by Bergen County Technical School District students as part of their first annual "Souper Bowl" event.
Over 3,000 cans were collected by Bergen County Technical School District students as part of their first annual "Souper Bowl" event.

“Our kids stepped up to make a difference and will continue to be a force in how we end hunger in Bergen County,” Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur said. "I’m so grateful to the administration for their cooperation and to the students of all the participating schools for making an impact. As the need for food persists, our pantries need our support. We hope others in our community will follow the lead of our high school students and donate their time and resources to help so many of our neighbors who are struggling.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: This school won Bergen County's first annual 'Souper Bowl' fundraiser