Nick Battaglia’s Memorial Soupfest Fund

Beloved son, brother, and friend, Nicholas Adam Battaglia, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, November 11th, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. Lately, he had been channeling his trademark energy and sense of humor into a passion project—Soupfest, and all that it has come to stand for.

Soupfest is a light-hearted yearly competition and arts gathering where friends bring homemade soup to be eaten and judged by their peers in a casual and inclusive environment. This year, proceeds from ticket sales benefit Neighborhood Services Inc. The third-annual Soupfest will take place in February of next year in Columbus. Tickets went on sale recently and promptly sold out.

Nick’s vast network had a lot to do with the ticket offering explosion. He certainly had a way with people. He also had a huge heart. It helped influence the festival’s giveback element, one that he and Soupfest organizers want to establish as a longterm entity in his honor.

We’ve started this fundraiser to begin to do so. Above Soupfest and associated event work, we plan to launch a non-profit organization in Nick’s name. This charitable entity will oversee donation relationships and submissions on an ongoing basis, acting as a legal and sanctioned benefactor to its partners.

It also creates an everlasting loop of love, support, and acceptance—mirroring Nick’s impact on so many of us.  He would be thrilled to know his event and its meaning continued to grow in his memory.

What started as a casual gathering of close friends, well—still is, and always will be. Soupfest now stands as a representation of our dear friend in many ways. 

Nick’s family and friends, the thousands who were lucky enough to know him, are appreciative of any donation to this project. Soupfest organizers welcome any and all offers of event support, whether it be related to art and artists, performers, music, venue hosting, fundraising, or management.



Your donation will help us ...
 
-Fulfill annual donation goals to our partners
-Hire legal support to apply for 501c3 non-profit status
-Support organizational growth (banking, legal, HR, etc)
-Develop a website, branding, and press materials for Soupfest
-Secure future venues to expand attendance and entries
-Develop future event offerings

Thank you for your time. 

Update: The newly established SoupFest LLC is managed and operated by Nick's original co-founders, Jake Sekas and Evan Harris, with Wes R. Kasik joining as the ownership team's third member. The charity fund, to be named The Miklos Battaglia Fund, will be held and managed by a donor advisory service with charitable efforts directed by the same team. Input from the Battaglia family and Nick's closest friends will be utilized to review and select beneficiaries on an ongoing basis.