MARSHFIELD, Wis. — Marshfield Area United Way and the United We Can Committee are inviting businesses, organizations and families to take part in United We Can 2026, a communitywide canned food sculpture competition designed to support local food programs.
United We Can transforms creativity into community impact. Participating teams build sculptures made primarily from nonperishable food items and compete for community votes online. After the competition concludes, 100% of the food used in the sculptures is donated to local food programs, including Little Free Pantries of Marshfield, Soup or Socks Food Pantry, Saint Vincent De Paul Food Pantry and the Marshfield Area United Way NOW Program.
The event will be held virtually. Teams construct sculptures at their workplaces or homes and submit photos for online voting.
Event timeline
Feb. 2, 2026: Pre-registration opens
Feb. 23 – March 6: Build dates
March 9, noon CST: Photo submission deadline
March 11, noon CST: Facebook voting opens
March 16, noon CST: Facebook voting closes
March 17: Winners announced
Contest guidelines
Each team must build a sculpture composed of at least 90% nonperishable food items. Food items may not be altered, labels must remain intact and expired items are not permitted.
Teams planning larger builds may contact Festival Foods or Pick ’n Save one week prior to their build date for assistance gathering items.
Photo submission details
Once construction is complete, teams should email photos to Jenni@MarshfieldAreaUnitedWay.org
and include:
Company, organization or family name
Sculpture name
Inventory of items used (example: 12 cans of corn, 25 cans of chicken, 65 jars of jelly)
Total number of items used
Behind-the-scenes photos are encouraged to showcase creativity and teamwork.
Award categories
Fan Favorite — 249 Items or Less Champion
Fan Favorite — 250–499 Items Champion
Fan Favorite — 500+ Items Champion
Most Wish List Items Used
Most Items Used
Voting details
Voting will take place on the Marshfield Area United Way Facebook page from noon Wednesday, March 11, through noon Monday, March 16.
👍 Like = 1 point
❤️ Heart = 2 points
Community members are encouraged to vote and share their favorite sculptures.
Pantry wish list
Participating food pantries have identified priority items, including canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned soup, baking goods (flour and sugar), dry beans, cereal, oatmeal, granola bars, jelly, mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, fruit cups, baked beans and canned chili. Teams are encouraged to incorporate these items whenever possible.
About United We Can
United We Can began in 2019 as a Leadership Marshfield class project and transitioned to a virtual format in 2021. The event continues to unite businesses, organizations and families while generating thousands of donated food items to support local families in need.