Seven Redmond teams survived the first week of Hopelink’s seventh annual Can Madness competitive food drive and are moving on to the round of 16. Also making a strong showing and advancing this week are four teams from Kirkland and three representing Bellevue. Rounding out the field of 16 are one team each from Shoreline and Sammamish.

During the first week of the single-elimination bracketed competition, 32 teams combined brought in 6,626 pounds of food and $5,773 cash to help stock the agency’s five food banks. The competition will continue with weekly weigh-ins until the winner is announced April 1.

In Redmond, seven-year tournament veteran Hancock’s Bakery will be joined in Round 2 by the City of Redmond, Home Team Real Estate, VCA Redmond Animal Hospital, Wingin’ it Café & BBQ, Wong Fleming and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Kirkland teams moving on include last year’s tournament champion Xtreme Consulting Group, Inc., Hallmark Realty, Lake Washington Physical Therapy and Winshuttle LLC.

Three Bellevue teams remain in the competition: Entirenet, Express Employment Professionals and WG Cells.

Boys and Girls Club of Redmond/Sammamish will represent Sammamish, and Shoreline’s OAC Services moves on this week as well. The next weigh-in will be Friday (March 11).

The annual drive is patterned after the national spring college basketball tournament, matching businesses in weekly competitions to see which can bring in the most food. Teams are bracketed together in pairs and one winner from each two-member bracket advances to the following week.

This week’s matchups: https://www.hope-link.org/events/canmadness