Athens residents gathered at Tony’s Tavern on Sunday afternoon to raise money for Rising Suns Non-Profit Pharmacy and enjoy unlimited soup. Soup festivities began at the tavern on 7 W. State St. at 1 p.m.
Entry to the Souper-Bowl for unlimited soup and a Tony’s coffee mug was $10. All of the proceeds from the event were donated to the pharmacy.
Rising Suns has been a part of the Athens neighborhood since its grand opening in 2022. Rising Suns’ mission is to “ensure all people in Southeastern Ohio have access to safe and effective medication,” according to its website.
The Ohio Department of Medicaid reported 24.4% of the county receives health coverage from Medicaid. Rising Suns’ services are even more timely after the recent Medicaid cuts due to President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. These cuts are expected to impact around 10 million people’s health insurance, according to a previous report by The Post.
“I’ve just decided that I wanted to do something, to give back to them and to help them out, because they help a lot of people in Athens County and surrounding counties get the meds that they need,” Chandra LaPorte, manager of Tony’s, said.
LaPorte said the first Souper-Bowl was held last October, a second followed in February and Sunday’s gathering was the third. The collaboration with Rising Suns was inspired by LaPorte’s own health struggles.
“I got diagnosed with diabetes in May or June of 2024,” LaPorte said. “I had just been kicked off of Medicaid, so I didn’t have insurance, and the meds that I have to be on are very expensive, and so I found out about Rising Suns Non-Profit Pharmacy, and that’s where I get my meds.”
LaPorte said she chose soup as the featured food because people are getting into soup season as the weather cools down.
“It’s soup season, and it’s delicious and easy for people to make and to feed lots of people,” LaPorte said. “We do a lot of gatherings here around the holidays … And the regulars all make a dish and bring it and share. So it’s mostly a lot of regulars that are making soups to donate to the cause.”
Event entry wasn't the only way Tony’s collected money for Rising Suns. LaPorte said the bar was accepting donations prior to Souper-Bowl for those who couldn’t make it.
“If people want to drop off donations, if they want to make a soup, and just if they can’t attend, if they want to drop off the soup, then we can do that,” LaPorte said. “Last time, (we had) a lot of people just writing checks for, you know, a couple hundred or whatever, and donating that, and then we just threw that into the pot as well.”
Newcomers and returning regulars trickled into the bar and grabbed a drink, mug and soup to enjoy on the Sunday afternoon.
Renée Stewart, assistant director of development for Ohio University, was a newcomer to the Souper-Bowl. She heard of it through word of mouth and decided to attend.
“I think Rising Suns is such an asset to this community,” Stewart said. “This area has such a big need for the services that they provide. ”
Isaiah Lyle, sports director and on-air personality for a radio station in Nelsonville, returned to Tony’s for the Souper-Bowl after coming the last several years.
“I have been to the last few … It’s just a pretty good time to come and eat a lot of soup,“ Lyle said. “A lot of good regulars show up with the best they’ve got. It’s a good time.”
The Souper-Bowl is a special way for Athens residents to gather, enjoy each other’s company and have some soup, all while donating money to a community resource.
“Sharing a meal definitely will bring somebody together because everybody’s in some way bonding over a common goal, a common thing that is happening, and that’s the meal,” Lyle said. “You can all share in that experience even if everything else is completely different.”
Whether returning or coming for the first time, LaPorte said Tony’s welcomes all.
"For the community to come together and support (Rising Suns) and really help out, I think is a special thing to happen, and really important," Stewart said. "It's very Appalachian and very Athens."
