The Shadow
Justin Reiter, executive director of The Historic Masonic Theatre, has announced that the annual John Hillert Souper Sunday fundraising event on Sun., Nov. 6, set a record for quarts of soup sold, 446.
Reiter and Brandon Caldwell, vice-president of Highlands Community Bank, recently presented a check for $5,950 to the Clifton Forge Food Pantry.
Highlands Community Bank sponsored the event that was held from 12:30 p.m. till 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot behind The Historic Masonic Theatre.
The drive-in style of event was facilitated by volunteers and board members of the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation who served as greeters and soup suppliers to motorists who parked along Church St. and took turns pulling into the parking lot to pick up their soup that 33 local chefs had prepared and donated for the event.
Reiter remarked, “There was very little cost due to everything being donated, both time and product.”
Other than the theatre staff being remunerated for time logged at the event, a host of volunteers handled the logistics, greeted the customers and delivered the soup.
An anonymous donor provided the 446 containers free of charge for the event that was first held prior to COVID-19 in 2020 when the event was held inside the theatre.
The drive-through pickup system utilized during the pandemic proved to be successful, and it was continued.
“The event was remarkable in that there was very little cost to raise a significant amount for the Clifton Forge Food Pantry,” Reiter concluded.
The late John Hillert spearheaded the fund drive that raised $6.9 million to restore The Historic Masonic Theatre (circa 1905) that closed for restoration in 2010 and reopened in July of 2016.
