It was a souper success. Nearly 1,000 people trudged across a snow-covered parking lot at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds to attend St. Vincent de Paul's fifth annual Souport the End of Homelessness fundraiser.

"When I heard they were doing it in the Jacklin Building, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, it's really grown,'" said Gail Jensen, of Hayden, who said she attends every year. "This is just the greatest event."

In 2011, the soup event attracted 509 people, and 17 businesses participated. This year, about 50 businesses and other types of organizations participated.

The room was lined with tables manned by volunteers ready to ladle tastes of 37 different types of soups, all donated by local businesses and other organizations. For $10, attendees could sample them all.

Sheena Dunn, a real estate broker with Estate Properties, was a first-timer at the event. She was offering her salmon chowder.

"I heard about this at a meeting and I thought it sounded like a lot of fun," Dunn said. "I love to cook and feed people."

There were Rotarians serving lemon orzo. The Yogatinis, a yoga group from Carlin Bay dished up a creamy, meaty concoction dubbed "Burger and Brew." The East Side Fire District was there with a "punkin picante" that won the best soup award by garnering votes from the tasters. Lakeshore Realty won a second contest, for best-decorated table.

"The community and the businesses really support us," said St. Vincent de Paul Director Jeff Conroy.

Doyles Wholesale, a local distributor of wholesale goods, donated enough cases of cans of Campbell's Soup to feed 3,000 people. The cans were prizes won by the spin of a wheel.

"Almost all of the winners donated the soup back to St. Vincent de Paul," said Doyles General Manager Tom Eshleman.

The range of soups available to sample was broad and diverse. There were bean soups, cheese soups and a classic chicken. But they all had one thing in common - they were warm.

And the point of it all was to help St. Vincent de Paul in its efforts to keep the homeless warm on cold winter nights. Proceeds will support the nonprofit's two warming centers.

The music took a turn toward the warming theme for a few minutes when Glenn Frey's "The Heat is On" streamed from speakers.

Not far away, even Santa joined the action, tipping back a few sample cups of soup.

"They know how to make soup that warms the cockles of the heart of Santa, from the North Pole," said the jolly, red-suited gent.