CANstructions Raise Awareness

Information by State  Print version   Just Dog Gone Hungry Pac Can Let's Pull Together to Can Hunger

They may look like art but they're actually edible. These visual feasts for the eyes were built by teams who participated in the 2003 CANstruction Competition recently held in Shreveport. Their goal: Build the most elaborate designs possible out of canned food. Entries included

• Pac Can, a recreation of the famous computer hero Pac Man, built by students at Captain Shreve High School.
  
• Let's Pull Together to Can Hunger was constructed by Slack-Alost-McSwain & Associates and featured "The King" slot machine.
• The entry by Alliance, Inc., Just Dog Gone Hungry, featured a rendering of French Quarter artist George Rodrigue's blue dog.

Trademarked by the society of Design Administration, and working in tandem with the American Institute of Architects, CANstruction's mission is to CANstruct a world without hunger. This competition combines the competitive spirit of design with a unique way to help feed the hungry. Competing teams, lead by architects and engineers, showcase their talents by designing giant sculptures made entirely out of canned foods. At the close of the Shreveport exhibits, the food used in the structures was donated to the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank who also sponsored the event. "CANstruction is one of the many events the Food Bank uses to bring emphasis to the problem of hunger," stated Executive Director Elaine Keith.

The Food Bank functions as a central collection and distribution center for over 150 non-profit agencies and serves the needy in seven northwest Louisiana parishes. Food is distributed through member agencies to needy individuals free of charge. In this way food collection and distribution are streamlined to provide a highly efficient vehicle for serving the maximum amount of food to those in need. A member of the local Continuum of Care, HOPE for the Homeless, the Food Bank works closely with homeless providers who also act as distribution centers. Last year the Food Bank and its member agencies distributed 5 million pounds of food to the hungry.

The King slot machine may have won Jurors Favorite at the CANstruction Competition, but the real winners will be the many needy individuals who will be recipients of the 11,061 pounds of food used in the sculptures. And the hurts of hunger have received notable emphasis in this community at the edge of the holiday season, when giving defines community spirit.