BUIES CREEK – The Campbell University Social Entrepreneurship Club held the Campbell Soup micro-granting dinner at Lynch Auditorium on Oct. 18. The purpose of the event was to provide support to projects in Harnett County and surrounding communities. Campbell Soup is based on the highly successful Detroit Soup model that is often praised as a central part of the exciting revitalization efforts Detroit is currently experiencing.
For an entrance fee of five dollars or five canned goods, attendees received soup, salad, bread, a voting ballot, and a souvenir bowl and spoon set. This year’s event included a pre-networking session with several non-profits an hour before presentations started. The pre-networking session was created for students and members of the community to see the opportunities available to help and volunteer. Attendees also had the chance to sit in on five presentations and vote for the project they believe will best benefit the community.
Campbell Soup presenters included CareNet, Facing Giants N.C., Buddy Backpack, Literary Works, and Hempletics. Each presenter had five minutes to share their project and answer questions from the audience. At the conclusion of presentations, ballots were counted and Buddy Backpack was revealed as the winner.
As a result, Buddy Backpack received all of the money raised at the event, plus a 100 percent matched gift thanks to the generosity of the Campbell University Office of Spiritual Life. Buddy Backpack is a program designed to provide nutritious food to school children who have little or nothing to eat over the weekend and/or holiday breaks.
This event represents the Social Entrepreneurship Club’s third successful Campbell Soup. Another Campbell Soup is scheduled for the spring.