Food & Drink

SpartanNash’s food donation breaks Guinness World Record

A grocery store chain based in Michigan broke a huge world recšŸŽord, all while supporting a good cause.

A group of 24 interns at SpartanNash built made of packaged food in July of this year, using 5,791 items, according to a Wednesday annouą“œncement from Guinness World Records (GWR).

The items were then donated to local nonprofit Buist CommušŸ—¹nity Assistance Center in Byron Center, Michigan, wź§‘hichĀ provides food and clothingĀ to people in need.

Using canned corn, green beans, fruit cocktail, boxed potatoes, brownies, cereal and pasta, the interns and a few company employees built the word “SpartanNash” in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, headquarters parking lot, according to GWR.

When it was done, the word measured 150 feet long šŸ…°and 16 feet deep, GWR said in its announcement.

Andy Clausen, SpartanNashā€™s vice president of National Accounts pitched the idea to break the world record at the beginning of the summer internship program earlier this year. 

“This was an incredible opportunity for the SpartanNash interns to get experience coordinating on a big goal as a team,” Clausen told GWR. “We planned this to allow for our interns to have something that sets them apartā€”not many people have aĀ Guinness World Records titleĀ on their resume.”

“The interns came together to create solutions, have fun and serve our community  ā€“ a great example of our core behaviors in action,” Clausen added.

The previous record for the largest word made of packaged food was held by FrešŸ’ƒeform Foods International Association in Hong Kong, with a word made in 2018 with 1,111 items, according to GWR.