Schools in NJ, Kansas City hold canned food challenge for Super Bowl
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) -- To mark this Sunday's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, a South Jersey elementary school is facing off against a Kansas City-area elementary school in a canned food challenge.
Dubbed the "Souper Bowl," James Johnson Elementary in Cherry Hill is trying to collect more canned food than Timber Sage Elementary School in the Kansas City area by the end of the week.
The principal of whichever school collects the least number of cans has to wear the other school's NFL jersey for the day.
"Our students are incredibly excited, not just about the Eagles game, but also about this competition with Kansas City," Jared Peltzman, principal of Johnson Elementary, said. "I've been a principal here for eight years, I can tell you it is a passionate community. I'm feeling pretty confident."
The competition began when the two schools' PTAs connected with each other on social media, and since then, both schools have been chirping at each other back and forth with hype videos.
James Johnson Elementary School in Cherry Hill is participating in a SOUPer Bowl challenge against a Kansas City-area school, in which, each school tries to collect the most canned food by the end of the week! The story @CBSPhiladelphia. pic.twitter.com/bhIMK5s0Ym
— Brandon Goldner (@GoldnerTV) February 6, 2023
Teacher Erin Redmond said she's been using the competition to teach her students geography.
"Connecting the dots around the map, and we can become pen pals with this elementary school,'" Redmond said. "We can share our experience with this elementary school past the can drive."
Student Jada Weiss, who bought cans with her sister with their own money, said it's not about who wins the "Souper bowl," but who benefits from it.
"The biggest thing about this is helping others and making them feel equal like we do," Weiss said. "And so they can have cans and food like we do."