Photo Gallery | Youth Villages' Soup Sunday prepares for thousands
There's no doubt that one of the Mid-South's best tasting events is is no easy task to soup up.
"It's a restaurant on steroids," said Youth Villages Development manager Aaron Keegan ending with a laugh.
But nevertheless, Keegan shared that the work behind Soup Sunday befitting the Youth Villages mentoring program is all worth the result.
About 300 volunteers will start piling in at the FedExForum at 5 a.m. Sunday to set up, many are in for nearly a 12 hour day.
Keegan has been leading and managing the logistics of the event for four years.
Attentiveness is crucial, he said all booths have to have hot soup and need to be ready to go at 11 a.m.
Though the running around doesn't stop him from having a good time.
"For one, I love food. Plus two, you just meet tons of different people from the restaurant side, and also the patrons," said Keegan.
Huey's is one of the 50 restaurants participating in Soup Sunday's 24th year. The Memphis restaurant known for their burgers has been donating soup from the beginning.
Last year, Huey's restaurants donated 30 gallons of soup. A kitchen staff will prepare beef and potato soup the morning of this Sunday's event, and deliver it to the FedExForum in tubs.
"It's a fun event on our side, and the attendees' (side)," said Huey's marketing and events coordinator Shannon Little. "Youth Villages is a great organization in Memphis with a wide variety of children. We're happy to partner with them, and help make children's lives a better place."
When it all comes down to it, the event is much more than just serving soup. As a former mentor himself, Keegan shared seeing the mentors with their kids is one of the best experiences from Soup Sunday.
Many mentors and kids from Youth Villages go the event together, walk around, sit at a table and eat.
"The public can see what we do and how we act with the kids first hand," said Keegan.
Soup Sunday attracts more than 2,500 patrons every year. Tickets are available at the door. General admission for adults is $25; children ages 5-11 are $10 and ages 4 and under are free.
