Peanut Butter Bowl in progress
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The annual Peanut Butter Bowl is back in Copperas Cove through Saturday, Aug. 26.
The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs set a new record in 202, with 3,081 jars of peanut butter collected by the community at large.
Altogether, with online donations and on-campus donations, the grand total came out to 4,016 jars in 2022.For 2023, the aim is to exceed last year’s number.
This year’s peanut butter collection will benefit two Copperas Cove organizations which distribute food to those in need, My Brother’s House food pantry, and the Baptist Benevolence Ministry.
A number of locations in Copperas Cove are designated peanut butter drop-off sites to include Copperas Cove High School front office, CCISD Administration on South Main Street, Nonpareil Barbershop, Copperas Cove football annex, Applebee’s, Chick-Fil-A, and Educators Credit Union.
Donations may be made online for $2 per jar at https://peanutbutterbowl.com/online-donation-form, and donors can designate their donation to go toward the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs’ campaign.
Coach Donald Buckram Jr. is excited about the early momentum for the peanut butter drive already.
“The Peanut Butter Bowl is a great way to bring the community together with a common goal of helping each one another, fighting hunger in our city, and at least providing people in need a good source of protein with peanut butter that also has a very long shelf life,” said Buckram.
The late Joe Lombardi was a fan of the Peanut Butter Bowl and campaigned on its behalf last August. This year his wife, Sherry Hoffpauir, has taken up the torch where he left off.
About a week ago, she set a goal to collect 45 jars to represent Joe’s 45 years in broadcasting.
However, Hoffpauir is well on her way to collecting 200 jars of peanut butter, with some of the orders coming from as far away as Japan.
On Tuesday morning, Hoffpauir awoke to find five jars of peanut butter on her doorstep, bringing her total to 113. Her friend, Angea Carroll, also collected peanut butter at this week’s Altrusa Club meeting.
“She has had generous and caring people around the nation deliver her peanut butter and exceeded that amount of 45 in three days! I think what Ms. Hoffpauir is doing in honor of our longtime announcer and friend Big Joe is an uplifting gesture for the city of Copperas Cove and her,” Buckram said. “It goes to show even though someone may not physically be here, they can be still remembered for what they stood while here in various ways and currently this is how we are honoring Big Joe and is continued support to fight hunger in Cove.”
The Peanut Butter Bowl began in 2016 with two schools in San Antonio and grew to what it is today, with more than 70 football teams in Texas school districts.