Our goal was ambitious: collect 25,000 meals at United We CAN Food Drive + Sculpture Contest to fight hunger across Southern Maine. But challenging times call for bold goals.
Today, one in three Southern Maine households are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These families are working but still struggle to afford the basics, including food. Many rely on local food pantries to stretch their budgets and make ends meet.
On Friday, September 19, more than 23 companies and organizations came together at Thompson’s Point for a fun-filled, impactful day to address this deep-rooted issue. They built elaborate can sculptures, donated food, passed out donuts, transported food, and much more.
And together, we did it!
Not only did we meet our goal, we surpassed it! More than 28,000 meals were collected, helping to stock shelves of pantries and schools across Southern Maine through Wayside Food Programs and Youth Full Maine.
We’re grateful to the following organizations who built can sculptures, donated needed items, or provided logistical support to make the food drive a success:
- Bangor Savings Bank
- Bank of America
- Bissell Brothers
- CCB, Inc.
- Dead River Company
- Empeople Credit Union
- Fidelity Investments
- Hannaford Supermarkets
- The Holy Donut
- Hub Furniture
- Hussey Seating Company
- IDEXX
- Kennebec Savings Bank
- L.L.Bean
- Machias Savings Bank
- Maine Community Bank
- MaineHealth
- mainelove
- Martin’s Point Health Care
- South Portland Church of the Nazarene
- Systems Engineering
- Thompson’s Point
- Troiano Waste Systems
- WEX
- Zachau Construction
Fifteen local companies competed by building larger-than-life CAN-structions onsite. After the contest, each team dismantled their structures and donated all the cans, contributing a tremendous amount to the food drive efforts.
This year’s panel of judges included:
- Katie Brown, executive director, Youth Full Maine
- Jon Chrisos, WMTW-Channel 8 anchor
- Don Morrison, operations manager at Wayside Food Programs
- Quincy Hentzel, president and CEO of Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce and United Way’s 2025 Campaign Chair
Together, they awarded seven prizes, while event attendees cast their votes for the Community Choice award.
2025 Can Sculpture Contest Award Winners:
- Mighty Award: Systems Engineering
Most impressive structure given the size of the team - Rookie Award: Kennebec Savings Bank
Best sculpture by a new team (1st or 2nd year) - Best Meal Award: Fidelity Investments
Best sculpture featuring ingredients for a well-balanced, healthy meal - Most Creative: WEX
Most creative design and use of materials - Engineering Marvel: Zachau Construction
Most impressive engineering - Judge’s Choice (Best Throwback): Maine Community Bank
Judges’ selected category - Best in Show: CCB, Inc.
Top honors based on design, balance, proportions, detail, use of space, and amount of food collected - Community Choice: Bank of America
Voted favorite by attendees
United We CAN Food Drive + Sculpture shows us what’s possible when our community comes together. United is the way—to tackle our community’s challenges, help families thrive, and build a stronger Southern Maine.
