Students from West Hartford’s Duffy Elementary School donated more than 1,200 non-perishable items as part of their annual ‘Souper Bowl’ food drive.

Second graders Landon, Elizabeth, and Leo help with setting up bright and early, and contribute the very first donations. Courtesy photo

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Each year, the week before the Super Bowl, Duffy Elementary School students can be seen lugging their cold weather gear along with their backpacks and lunch boxes as well as something else: Bags of non-perishable food items and other essential items as part of the annual Souper Bowl Food Drive, sponsored by the parent-led Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.

Students bring in donations and notes and pictures of positivity and place them on one of two tables to “vote” for their team of choice to win the Super Bowl. This friendly competition adds additional fun to giving back to neighbors and community.

Donations support House of Bread in Hartford, where one of the co-Directors, Tom Porell, is a graduate of Duffy Elementary School and welcomed back each year as he joins family volunteers to load donations. This year also supported the West Hartford Food Pantry, recognizing the marked increase in demand for services in our own West Hartford community.

The school’s mascot, Duff the Dragon, keeps an eye on all of the generous donations, including the notes of kindness and positivity that students are invited to create for those served by House of Bread. Courtesy photo

Unsurprisingly, Patriots were a runaway favorite on home turf this year with 788 items to the Seahawks’ still-solid 451 for an impressive 1,239 items. Dedicated student volunteers assisted in counting and tallying all of the donations, as they do each year.

In addition to the collection, students had in-school opportunities to learn about ways to support friends and neighbors such as morning announcements. The EDI Committee also shared resources to continue conversations and actions at home, including information for families seeking assistance for themselves or others.

Duffy Dragons look forward to another Souper Bowl in 2027 and joyfully encourage others to support our community in kind!

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