Tower Square Hot Table hosts Polar Vortex Challenge to benefit Springfield Rescue Mission

one Springfield sandwich shop hosted a fundraiser for the homeless earlier today and 22 news reporter Jack Woo is live in Springfield with how cold weather and hot sandwiches are going to help the less fortunate Jack this is definitely no ordinary fundraiser people could come to Hot Table which is right behind me and get a free sandwich as long as they followed one rule hot table at Tower Square invited patrons to take part in the polar vortex challenge this unique fundraiser gave everyone who showed up a free Panini cup of soup and milkshake but catch you have to eat the meal outside here you go enjoy Hot Table co-owner John devoy told 22 News about his inspiration for the fundraiser I think it's just fun to do in the middle of the winter you know it's it's it's for a good cause and uh and it's funny we had some people that remember doing it 5 years ago and they're like when are you guys going to bring this back so they brought it back we brought it back and uh we're excited to be to be here temperatures in the mid teens didn't deter people from the event it's nippy but yeah as long as you go after it while it's still warm m so good we asked one long met a woman why she decided to eat outside you know I thought what a great opportunity to get my colleagues together come out enjoy food and support uh this incredible cause I decided to give the challenge a try I'm going to grab a chicken Pasto Panini so I ordered my food and went outside in the 14° weather while the food was spectacular The Frigid conditions made my feet and hands go numb gloves back on eat the soup I just finished my milkshake my meal is now complete and I've only been out here for 16 minutes and 13 seconds and I am freezing but there's plenty of more people who don't have anywhere to go and that's a polar vortex it's really supporting that's why Sabra ramsdale from the Springfield Rescue Mission decided to partner with the Devo she told 22 News it helps others get a taste of what the less fortunate deal with every day if it's cold for us it's cold for the hundreds of people out there that are homeless and that's really the emphasis the fundraiser was last held in 2019 and they raised around $1,500 for the homeless working for you I'm Jack woo 22 News