Bassfield Mayor Angie Ladner, along with 12 mayors across the Pine Belt, is planning to participate in the 2025 March of the Mayors event.

March of the Mayors is a statewide canned food drive championed by 50 mayors of cities across Mississippi to collect food items to support their local pantries.

It is described as “Mississippi’s Largest Food Box Packing Party” with the mission to feed hungry Mississippians.

The four-week event, driven by donations of specific food items, will benefit Extra Table’s partner food pantries in the Pine Belt.

Each participating city is tasked with collecting one specific food item, with the Bassfield community collecting canned corn.

Cans of corn can be dropped off at Bassfield City Hall, Bassfield Family Dollar and the Dr. Frank L. Leggett Public Library through Feb. 21.

The week of February 24-28, Extra Table, along with the regional sponsors and a load of volunteers, will host food packing parties in five regions over five days to meld together the collections of participating cities.

The packing party for the Pine Belt will be held Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. until noon at Venture Church’s Hunt Club Campus in Hattiesburg. Volunteers are welcome. Visit www.extratable.org/march for more information.

Last year the Bassfield community donated 425 cans of corn to the event. In turn, Mayor Ladner brought 144 boxes of food back to Jefferson Davis County with the pantries at Holly Springs Church and Carson Baptist Church each receiving 72 boxes each to be donated back into the community.

“It was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had,” said Ladner.

Other cities participating from the Pine Belt are Collins, Columbia, Ellisville, Hattiesburg, Laurel, Lumberton, Magee, Petal, Poplarville, Purvis, Sandersville and Sumrall.