Nine Redmond teams competing for trophy

A full slate of 25 local businesses are off and running in Hopelink’s fourth annual Can Madness competitive food drive to help stock the agency’s five food banks. The first weigh-in will take place on Friday and the competition will continue until the winner is crowned on April 5.

The drive is patterned after the famous national spring college basketball tournament, matching businesses in weekly competitions to see which one can bring in the most food. Each week, the winning business in every bracket will advance to the following week.

Last year, 32 businesses collected 23,535 pounds of food and more than $3,000 in cash donations to help feed local families who are working to get back on their feet. Three-time tournament winner Hancock’s Bakery in Redmond brought in a total of 7,590 pounds during the competition, edging out Guild Mortgage of Kirkland in the final. The Kirkland business collected a total of 7,598 pounds during the tournament but finished second in overall scoring.

To ensure that businesses of all sizes are able to compete on a level playing field, the competition uses a unique scoring system: the total pounds of food donated by a business are divided by the total number of employees, resulting in a competitive “score.”

Teams are bracketed together in pairs and one winner from each two-member bracket will advance to the following week.

Hopelink Can Madness 2013 participants:

Redmond:

180 degrees Chiropractic

Falco Sult & Company

Frederick’s Appliance Center

Hancock’s Bakery

JJ Mahoney’s Pub

Magellan Architects

Precision Electric Group, Inc.

Redmond Physical Therapy

Roos Orthodontics

Kirkland:

Guild Mortgage Kirkland

Hallmark Realty

Lake WA Physical Therapy

Lift Pilates

Lil ‘People’s World

Washington Federal

Bellevue:

HomeStreet Bank

Malawi Seattle Association

Massage Center of Bellevue

Samena Swim & Recreation Club

TJ Maxx

Shoreline/Bothell:

CMC Biologics (Bothell)

Toni&Guy Hairdressing Academy (Shoreline)

Woodinville:

North Sound Interiors

Seattle:

F5 Networks Inc.

UW Medical Center

The competition is in its fourth year and was the brainchild of Lake Washington Physical Therapy’s Ben Wobker as a way for local businesses to help stock Hopelink’s five food banks during the time when holiday donations traditionally taper off.