MATTERbox Madness 2023 is in the books! After three years of virtual competition, the Madness returned to the Mall of America® with sixteen teams eager to compete against other in a fun and furious race to pack healthy food for Minnesota’s kids.
And pack they did. By the end of the competition, thousands of MATTERbox snack packs were assembled, boxed and ready to be distributed to our community partners. This event kicks off our annual campaign to provide 50,000 healthy meals for kids during the summer months.
Now in its ninth year, MATTERbox Madness brings teams of employees together from some of Minnesota’s most generous companies to participate in a bracket-style competition to see which team can assemble MATTERbox snack packs in the shortest amount of time. Each snack pack contains a delicious protein, a healthy carbohydrate, and a tasty fruit – everything a child needs for a healthy boost of energy in their day. Also included is an educational nutrition goal card and a handwritten You MATTER note of encouragement.
Taking home the championship trophy this year was Lube-Tech. Celebrating the win, Kevin Bame, Health and Wellness Specialist for Lube-Tech, shared his thoughts on what MATTERbox Madness means to his company, “Our employees love doing things together to give back to the communities we live and work in. We’ve partnered with MATTER for quite a few years now, and they make it simple and easy for our teams to give back to the community. You’re going to see us again next year!”
In addition to crowning the Champions, Jamf received an award for their hard-fought battle for second place; the Sportsmanship Award went to The Property Geeks, the Spirit Award went to Huntington Bank, and Mall of America® won the Consolation Round.
One of the highlights of MATTERbox Madness 2023 was the participation of The JP4 Foundation, one of our community partners that use MATTERbox snack packs in their after-school and day camp programs. Before the competition started, Executive Director, Jeff Huth, explained to the teams how essential the snack packs are to their programming. “The kids need these healthy snacks to help them focus on the activities we plan for them. But it’s not just the food that’s important. One little boy has collected all the You MATTER notes from his snack packs. He keeps them in the front pocket of his snow pants for whenever he needs a little bit of encouragement in his day. So thank you for doing this today.”
The teams didn’t really need the extra motivation; they came ready to pack their hearts out. But hearing about the little You MATTER note collector gave an added sense of purpose to their mission. At the end of the day, after the awards and the fun and the fierce competition, this was about a little boy in snow pants and all the kids like him who need healthy food for their growing bodies and words of encouragement for their young souls.
We want to thank all the amazing teams who sponsored and participated in this year’s event: Cargill, Huntington Bank, Jamf, JP4 Foundation, KLC Financial, Lube-Tech, Mains’l, Mall of America®, Marsh McLennan, Minnesota Vikings, The Property Geeks, True North, Twin Cities Orthopedics, and Salem Radio Network. You are all winners in our eyes!
Everyone can make a difference for the kids in their community by hosting their own MATTERbox packing event. Our Volunteer Kits can be delivered right to your doorstep, making for a fun, easy and meaningful volunteer activity with your coworkers, friends, family or small group. You can even plan a virtual packing event over multiple states! Please contact Tami at MATTER to learn more and begin planning your event today!
Watch this highlight video of MATTERbox Madness 2023!
