FRANKLIN and WEYMOUTH, MA – The 2026 “SOUPer Bowl” stirred up friendly competition between the Franklin Food Pantry and Weymouth Food Pantry, collecting over 16,000 cans of soup to help fight food insecurity in their communities.
From January 8 through February 8, residents, local businesses, schools, and community leaders took the competition for a cause to heart, resulting in a combined total of 16, 246 cans of “mmm, mmm, good.” The final tally was Weymouth 9,960 cans and Franklin 6,286 cans.
The rivalry was a rematch of the 2025 face-off, which saw a combined total of 4,967 cans collected and found Franklin securing the title by a narrow margin. This year’s turnout more than tripled those numbers, soaring past 16,000 and reflecting how both communities have embraced the meaningful competition.
“This year, Weymouth rallied the community in a big way,” said Pamela Denholm, executive director of the Weymouth Food Pantry. “We are incredibly grateful to all who supported this uplifting rivalry, one that not only raised awareness but brought communities together in solidarity against hunger.”
“This event demonstrates the power of collective action,” said Tina Powderly, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “Every can of soup represents a neighbor helping another neighbor and that’s what makes this competition so special.”
There were many MVPs in this year’s match, including:
– Dennis Brooks, who launched his own “Weymouth Polar Plunge for Soup,” raising over $2,500 and delivering 2,549 cans
– Weymouth Public Schools, Town Hall, Tufts Library, and the Weymouth Police Station with a combined collection of over 1,200 cans
– BJ’s in Weymouth collected 782 cans, donating soup for the “SOUPer Bowl” kickoff and held a friendly competition with Franklin’s BJ’s, which edged them out by 12 cans
– Archbishop Williams High School ran a schoolwide competition, donating 700 cans
– Clean Harbors collected over 600 cans
– Shaw’s Supermarket in Weymouth set up soup at every register and collected over 550 cans
– Saint Francis Xavier School collected 145 cans
– Immaculate Conception Church collected 100 cans
Community leadership played a standout role during the 2026 competition.
Weymouth Mayor Michael Molisse and his Chief of Staff, Ted Langill kept energy high by creating graphics and posting frequent updates throughout the month-long event. State Rep. James Murphy and Franklin’s State Rep. Jeff Roy also championed the effort, and invited Pamela Denholm and Tina Powderly to the State House for the official winner reveal. By coincidence, students from Pingree School in Weymouth were visiting the State House the same day and joined in the excitement by helping to announce the winning pantry. To add to the hometown flavor, Rep. Roy sported a Weymouth T-shirt that read “Just a Kid from Weymouth.”
Soup Drop-off locations for this year’s competition included the Weymouth and Franklin food pantries, BJ’s, Shaw’s, Tufts Library, Weymouth Police Station, Grille 151, Town Hall, Curtis Liquors, South Shore Bank, and Rockland Trust. Many supporters also ordered directly from an Amazon wishlist.
“The 2026 SOUPer Bowl” may be over, but the fight against food insecurity continues,” said Denholm, citing statistics that 1 in 3 people in Massachusetts are currently facing nutritional hardship.
To make a difference in the struggle against hunger, please consider:
– Donating food
– Donating funds
– Organizing a food drive
– Volunteering at a local food pantry