Soup-er Chili Knights is one of the oldest and continuously held fundraisers for St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. It began back in 2001 as “Chili Knights” to help raise money to pay the natural gas fuel bill for the Mission and its properties. The name of the fundraiser is a play on words, both for what is being served and where it is held. It takes place in January, which, at least in Buffalo, is known for its “chilly nights”, especially if you do not have heat.

At this fundraiser, the primary food that was served was chili con carne so this is where the “chili” comes from. It has been held since its inception at the Hamburg Knights of Columbus and that is where the “Knights” comes from. The word “Soup-er” was added a couple of years ago when we had to reschedule Chili Knights after it was discovered it fell on the same Sunday as the “Super Bowl”. Also, we began to see that not everyone likes Chili so we decided to add soup to the menu. The word “Soup-er” is a play on the words “Soup or” chili and also a nod to the Super Bowl, which we were not ready to compete against.