Key Club students at Lincoln-Way North High School are hard at work preparing for their Fourth Annual “Souper Bowl” flag football tournament, an initiative to collect non-perishable food items for those in need.

Several student clubs and activity groups, including Interact, Student Council, SADD/TATU, AFJROTC and Pi Sigma Pi, Mathletes and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) have signed up to participate.

“We've been talking about it all year,” said Key Club member Frank Licka, a senior at Lincoln-Way North. “It's a lot of fun, and every year we keep expanding. It keeps getting bigger and bigger.”

The Souper Bowl is a national initiative to collect non-perishable food items for those in need.

Last year, more than 17,000 groups nationwide participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring event, collecting over $9 million in cash and food donations.

Lincoln-Way North students have collected more than 1,100 items and $250 in donations for the Frankfort Township Food Pantry to date. They hope to top that number at this year's tournament, which will take place at 1 p.m. Feb. 2 in the school's Fieldhouse.

“We're always trying to increase what we get,” said senior Chris Doyle, also a member of Key Club.

“We want to get as much food as we can,” he added. “That's our main goal. The tournament is just an incentive to get people there.”

Key Club members have been busy recruiting participants for their annual tournament and advertising their plans in morning announcements and by posting fliers around school.

Media Center Supervisor Barbra Elm has agreed to accept food donations in place of library fines leading up to the Souper Bowl.

“Our students like to reach out to the community,” said Lincoln-Way North teacher and Key Club sponsor Matt Jordan. “That’s why the Souper Bowl is always successful and highly anticipated by the students. They get to help others while having a great time playing flag football.”

Area residents are invited to join the effort by bringing a non-perishable food item to the tournament on Feb. 2.