Get ready to have fun and make an amazing local impact with this year's MARCH MATCHNESS food drive competition!
March Matchness is an annual food and fund drive competition hosted by Gleaners Community Food Bank. Running alongside the NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament, March Matchness challenges local businesses and organizations to raise as much food and money as possible between March 9 and 27, 2026 to help those facing hunger-- all powered by friendly competition!
Each week during the bracket-style competition, participating organizations compete in pairs to rack up "points" represented by the food and funds donated by the community. The more food is donated, the closer your favorite organization gets to winning! At the end of each week, organizations advance to the next round, until a single champion emerges with the most points after the last week of competition! This annual initiative is a great way to ensure that our neighbors are fed-- and Cromaine is excited to be a part of this community initiative.
Cromaine Library is competing with other local businesses to raise as much money and non-perishable food items as possible, to be distributed by Gleaners to those in need in our community. We hope you'll join us! Starting March 9, show your Library pride by bringing in shelf-stable goods to our food collection box on the first floor of the Library. Canned fruits, veggies, fish, soups, or packaged items like rice, pasta, and oatmeal are especially helpful. Each of these items donated brings the Library two points! Donating barbecue sauce or salad dressing also helps us advance in the competition by taking AWAY points from our opponent.
Would you rather give money? That helps us advance in the competition, too! You can donate to the drive by cash or check, and each dollar donated brings THREE points to the Library! Plus, every dollar raised during March Matchness is MATCHED, up to $100,000, by the Harold and Kay Matching Gift Fund! That means your support goes twice as far for our community.
Please also remember that prohibited food items, which costs the Library points, include expired, homemade, or opened food containers. Please also avoid donating glass containers!
We love seeing the fun and generosity that this competition brings out in Hartland-- and we know that we have the BEST community. We can't wait to crush the competition with you, while delivering food to those facing food insecurity. Let's GO, Hartland!
