Soup starter to return siphoned funds

Thousands redirected towards online video production

The organizer of a local monthly crowd funding event says he’ll return money that was siphoned off for another project.

 Andrew Londre has been active with the La Crosse Soup events as well as the rebranding of the north side business district as Uptowne.  

While trying to fund a different project to highlight the community in an online reality show, Londre admits to redirecting thousands of dollars that was meant for small civic projects to fund that video.  

It’s money Londre claims wasn’t being utilized by UW-La Crosse students who had pledged to do those projects.

 In an online post, Londre says he’s taken out a personal loan and will pay $8,500 in Soup funds on Monday  morning.  

 The Soup events are patterned after similar events in other communities.  

People gather for a donated bowl of soup, pay a few dollars and then vote on which small community centered-project gets funded with that money.  

The events have paid for, among other things, a bike repair station, park improvements and an expansion for a downtown childcare.   The first La Crosse Soup event was held in May of 2015.