Community Corner

CANstruction Competition to Benefit Area Food Banks

Six teams to build sculptures using 9,600 cans in the fight against food insecurity in Western Pennsylvania.

Volunteers are teaming up to bring attention to food insecurity in conjunction with Hunger Action Month.

The Mall at Robinson and CANstruction Pittsburgh will kick  "CANstruction 2013"  into high gear on Saturday, Sept. 21. Six teams will build sculptures with cans to benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, Kiski Valley Food Bank, Brashear Association and the East End Cooperative Ministry.

The third Annual CANstruction Competition will feature Pittsburgh architects, engineers, contractors and designers competing to build giant objects using canned food to bring awareness, and food to families in need.

From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 21, teams from AE Works, the American Society of Civil Engineers and Carpenter’s Union, Perkins Eastman, Giant Eagle, The International Interior Design Association PA Chapter and IBACOS will construct can sculptures using more than 9,600 cans in the mall’s Banana Republic Rotunda on the Lower Level.

CANstruction Pittsburgh is a chapter of CANstruction National, which was started in 1992 and has since donated more than 17.5 million pounds of food to local food banks worldwide. In 2012, the Pittsburgh project made available more than 12,000 cans, an $11,787 cash value. 

“It is an amazing feeling to be a part of CANstruction. It’s awesome to have the chance see each team transform their ideas and designs into full-scale sculptures and then realize that this event and the public’s participation will help so many families,” Anastasia Herk of CANstruction Pittsburgh said in a news release.

Judging will take place at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at a gala event, and winners will be announced.  Entries are evaluated in five categories: Best Use of Labels, Best Meal, Structural Ingenuity, Jurors' Favorite and Honorable Mention.

All visitors to The Mall at Robinson can vote for their favorite sculpture from Sept. 21 to Oct. 4 by donating one food item for each vote. Voting is unlimited.

For more information visit http://canstructionpgh.org/. 


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