OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Some people in Oshkosh spent Super Bowl Sunday thinking about more than just football; instead spending the afternoon bowling and donating to the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry.
Watch the broadcast story here:
Sisters, Chesney and Rylee Houle, say they bowl every weekend at T & O Lanes in Oshkosh.
"Every Saturday," Rylee says. "It's just really fun to do."
But on Sunday, Feb. 8, they were thinking about more than just knocking down the pins.
“We come here to bowl because it’s fun, but we also come to help families and children that are in need," Chesney says.
Each year, the two participate in the Souper Bowl Fundraiser for the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry. This year was the fourth annual event.
"Which is kind of a double play on words– folks are bringing in canned food donations, and then they're able to bowl for free," Emily James, development manager for OACP, says.
The event is put on by Jirschele Insurance, along with several other community sponsors.
James says this type of community support is becoming more and more important for the pantry.
"It's the only reason we can do what we do," she says. "Last year, 2025, we saw 4,300 unique families visit the pantry in one year alone, which is more than doubled from what it was a few years ago."
And community members, like the Houle sisters, are helping to keep the local resource alive.
"Nobody is too young to help out," Rylee says.
