Marseilles boy collects 553 cans of tuna for local food pantry to celebrate his 7th birthday

It’s the simple things in life that bring the most joy — for Maximilian Claahsen, of Marseilles, it’s stacking tuna cans.

Stacking cans has become more than a fun activity for him, it’s also a way to help people in his community.

In celebration of his seventh birthday, Max asked his family, friends and community members to donate cans of tuna, that he could stack prior to handing them over to the Marseilles Food Pantry to be given to patrons.

This isn’t the first time, he’s utilized his birthday as a donation drive. For his fourth birthday, the first drive, he received 76 cans and last year drew a record number with a total of 1,144 cans.

This year, the drive received 553 cans of tuna on Sunday at the Marseilles Food Pantry, which also is operated by Max’s mother Carolyn Claahsen, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 200 Broadway St.

Claahsen said Max has been stacking since he was 2 years old. They began the drive on his fourth birthday and last year he asked if they could do the tuna drive again — marking this year the third year they have collected for the pantry.

“We do the tuna for the drive because it’s what [Max] has always stacked,” she said. “He used to even make houses and stuff.”

Prior to the drive, cans of tuna were an item the pantry was purchasing every week. Now, the drive stocks up the pantry for a while.

The largest donation was brought in by Marseilles Mayor Jim Hollenbeck, who dropped off 100 cans.

Max said collecting cans of tuna makes him happy and he enjoys being able to help the people in his community.

“It’s so that we have enough tuna that we don’t run out,” he said. “It’s nice to help people.”

The Marseilles Food Pantry is open from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. the first and third Tuesday’s of the month at 200 Broadway St. in Marseilles.