Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling, Ohio County Schools Robotics Teams Partner To Hold Fundraiser Saturday

The robotics teams in Ohio County Schools and the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling are inviting the public for soup and salad and a chance to financially support both groups this Saturday.

The soup kitchen and the robotics teams are jointly hosting a soup and salad fundraiser from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, and the two groups will equally split the profits. The soup kitchen is located at 1610 Eoff St. in downtown Wheeling. Tickets cost $20, and can be obtained at the door.

Local restaurants and businesses are donating the soups, salads and desserts available at the event. And patrons will have a chance to try more than one of the soups available, according to Becky Shillling-Rodocker, executive director of the soup kitchen.

"The soup is coming from all over the place. Area shops and restaurants are coming together to make the soup," she said. The list of participants is still being completed.

On their end, the soup kitchen will be preparing a ham and potato soup, as well as chili. The robotics teams members, meanwhile, will be serving at the event. Recent weeks have seen the robotics students also involved with a coat drive in cooperation with the soup kitchen. To date, 206 have been collected.

"We have been collecting coats for about a month and a half," said Dawn Garrison with the Ohio County Robotics Boosters. "After they are collected we will give them to the soup kitchen, and they will distribute them to the community throughout winter."

Much of the money collected by the robotics team through the fundraiser will be put toward a regional VEX Robotics tournament at The Highlands Sports Complex in Ohio County in early 2024. Middle School robotics teams from the region are scheduled to compete on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, with the high school teams showcased Feb. 2-3.

Additionally, a large number of Ohio County robotics students have qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas the past two years and additional wins are expected in 2024. While boosters celebrated the students' success, it also meant they had to raise about $50,000 in a short period of time to cover their expenses to Texas.

Much of the money raised goes toward travel and food budgets for the students while in Texas, but Garrison said the boosters would also like to have funds to provide "activities for the kids" while they are in Dallas.

"We just appreciate all the support from parents, community, and everyone turning out to show robotics is a sport and should be celebrated," Garrison said. "We thank everybody helping us to do that."

Shilling-Rodocker commended the parents and those involved with the Ohio County Robotics Teams Boosters for their involvement. She noted it was the boosters who approached the soup kitchen with the idea for the fundraiser.

"They wanted to do something for the soup kitchen," Shilling-Rodocker said. "They are as equally concerned about the soup kitchen being able to have a successful fundraiser as they are the robotics team.

"Ohio County is very lucky to have such teams and groups."

She added the fundraiser presents a good opportunity for those out shopping Saturday to sit down, have a bite to eat, and perhaps win a raffle while supporting two good causes.

"It's a double feel-good," Shilling-Rodocker noted.