Soup was the star at annual American Legion ladies auxiliary fundraiser benefiting veterans in Brackenridge

Just call him ham man.

Jodie Deiseroth of Harrison has a special cooking technique with ham, so he decided to try his luck at the annual Soup Cook-Off sponsored Saturday by Brackenridge American Legion Auxiliary.

“It’s ginger ale,” Deiseroth whispered when asked which secret ingredient makes his soup so special. “I baste the ham with ginger ale.”

Deiseroth was one of about a dozen soup chefs competing in the Brackenridge Legion’s 4th Annual Soup Cook-Off.

The public event serves as one of the largest fundraisers for the ladies auxiliary.

Army veteran Robert Greiner of Harrison filled up on a free bowl of soup along with a beer; he kept his preferred soup vote under wraps.

“I know all these ladies, so I can’t say who I voted for,” Greiner said. “I did like the Camp Soup. I was a camper and it has everything in it.”

Deiseroth was awarded second place for his Ham, Cabbage and Potato Soup recipe.

All of the soups were served from large roasters or stock pots. It was free for cooks to enter; those who came to eat were charged.

James Reesman of Tarentum scooped up three quarts of soup to go.

“These will be my lunches the next couple of days,” Reesman said. “… It’s fun; and I can try a bunch of different soups.”

Participants sampled soups from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and voted for their fave soup with a ticket placed in a bag.

Soup “flights” were at the ready for attendees during the annual Soup Cook-Off hosted by the Brackenridge American Legion Auxiliary held Saturday.

The event raised about $1,000.

The participating homemade soups included a wide range, from the traditional chicken noodle to the hearty stuffed green pepper.

Joe Adamovits of Harrison doesn’t own a camp, but he has a soup recipe custom made for when he visits friends at their camp.

Adamovits’s Camp Soup recipe tied for third place. A first-time contestant, Adamovits seemed pleased that his chock-full-of everything beefy creation was an apparent hit with the crowd.

“I’ve made some other soups and people like them,” Adamovits said. “I came up with this one and people seem to like it.”

First-time attendee Pamela Williams of Harrison noshed on the Ham and Bean soup alongside return soup fan Bonnie Thomson of Brackenridge.

“I wanted to try these soups again. This year, I’m liking the Cheeseburger,” said Thomson, who declined to say which soup she voted for.

Organizers described attendance as excellent, with about 150 people attending.

“Every year it’s growing and the word is getting out about the soup,” said event coordinator Anita Glowatski. “It feels great to have this.”

The cook-off idea was sparked four years ago from a trip Glowatski took with family to St. Marys in Elk County.

“We stopped in at an American Legion there and saw they were having a soup cook-off for a fundraiser so I thought that would be good for us to do here,” Glowatski said.

All proceeds raised from soup sales benefit local veterans.

Last year, the money raised helped to buy a freezer and other equipment for the Legion.

“It goes to help our post, and helps with building funds, and anything they need at the Legion,” Glowatski said.

Veterans in attendance Saturday were treated to a free bowl of soup.

About 17 volunteers sporting red soup-themed T-shirts hustled to dole out soups, available by the bowl, quart or pint.

Cindy Homburg of Brackenridge enjoyed several servings of her favorite soup, Italian Sausage, Tomato and Zucchini, and bought more to take home.

“I tried them all. I love this event,” Homburg said. “I like the camaraderie of it, and it brings the Valley together and brings friends together.”

Glowatski said the annual soup scene isn’t going anywhere.

“This cook-off is here to stay because it’s a big fundraiser and it’s an easy one,” Glowatski said. “Everyone enjoys it, and people just love soup.”