Local students may have a definite favorite for who wins the Super Bowl, but they are working together to help find a winning way for those dependent upon food from the Utah Food Bank.

Both Juan Diego Catholic High and Corner Canyon High students are helping with the Souper Bowl of Caring by raising awareness, funds and gathering canned food items. The Souper Bowl of Caring is a youth-led national event during the Super Bowl to fight hunger and poverty.

A food drive is an annual event at Juan Diego Catholic High School, but for the past three years, students have participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring and have encouraged other area and Catholic schools to participate, said Lynelle Williams, Juan Diego’s director of student activities.

“It’s not so much as a competition, but more encouraging as many schools to participate and see how much we can help,” she said. “As part of our Christian morals and values, we want to help those in our own community who are not as fortunate as we are.”

During Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 26 through Feb. 1, Juan Diego will hold free dress days. Instead of wearing a school uniform, and to participate, students can bring canned food donations. They may hold class competitions in hopes of raising more donations and place barrels at local grocery stores so those in the community can donate to the Souper Bowl of Caring as well, she said.

“We’re hoping to beat last year’s donations of about 50,000 items,” Williams said. Combined with other Catholic schools in the area, 100,000 cans of food were donated.

Williams said that in the past families have held their own parties on Super Bowl Sunday, and instead of munching on chips, they’d bring canned food donations.

Corner Canyon High School has been gathering monetary donations all fall and winter by accepting donations at football and basketball games.

“We want to help our community and engage in service all year, not just at Christmas,” said Jana White, Corner Canyon’s student government adviser. “The more we set standards of what a Charger is, then the more students rise and learn how to respect, give and take care of others in our community.”

Corner Canyon is involved with several service projects all school year, most recently helping raise more than $50,000 for Primary Children’s Hospital and assisting with activities at Head Start schools.