Upper Michigan Today celebrates TV6 Canathon

Another TV6 Canathon is in the books, and this year’s drive rallied Upper Michigan communities together like no other.

Since 1982, U.P. communities have donated canned goods and other nonperishable food items to the TV6 Canathon to help feed a hungry neighbor.

This year, the Canathon raised more than $125,000 in monetary donations, spread far and wide across Upper Michigan to food pantries in need. With help from U.P. schools, churches and community members, over 115,000 food items made their way into local food pantries throughout the Upper Peninsula and beyond.

Monday’s episode of Upper Michigan Today celebrated the wrap up of a successful 2025 TV6 Canathon. Many special guests joined Audrey Stetson and John Redfield in the studio for a deep dive into the Canathon’s impact... and what it takes to keep the longstanding tradition going each and every year (hint: it’s YOU!).

But first, Audrey and John talked about food insecurity in the U.P.

TV6 Canathon Director Tony Stagliano and United Way of Marquette County Executive Director Andrew Rickauer joined the conversation to share how the timing of this fall’s SNAP benefit cuts allowed the Canathon to give food to people when they really needed it.

They also noted how food pantries can make dollars stretch more than the average grocery shopper.

The TV6 Canathon’s biggest donor of 2025 was the Superior Health Foundation. Program Officer Nicky Bates shared how SHF’s $65,000 donation trickled down to help many communities in almost every Upper Peninsula county.

Watch the whole show here.