Combating hunger through creative 'can'struction

BY LAUREL MYERS

The Sudbury Food Bank and Meals on Wheels have teamed up, along with the best engineering firms, building teams, sponsors and designers, in a competition of un'can'ny proportions and tinny elements.

For the second year, Sudbury is participating in Canstruction - an international event committed to ending hunger, which first ran in Seattle in 1992. More than 100 cities across North America participate in the event.

Architects, engineers, designers, contractors and students compete to design gigantic structures (up to eight feet high) made entirely from full cans of food and other non-perishable food items.

At the close of the competition all the food collected is donated to local food banks, combining the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a way to help feed the hungry.

As a result of this unique charity competition, millions of pounds of food are donated to food banks. In 2006, the first Canstruction event held in Sudbury brought in approximately four tons of food and close to $8,000. This year's event will include 10 different structures, up by four from the last Canstruction event.

The event falls at an opportune time for the food bank. Following a recent fire that depleted the 30 tons of stock, the community rallied together to replenish, and more than double, the lost food with 75 tons of replacements.

"That should take us to May or June," said Dan Xilon, Sudbury Food Bank administrator. "But there's 365 days of hunger issues."

Sculptures will be judged by a slew of celebrity judges from the community, as well as a certified engineer. Prizes are awarded in categories such as best meal, best use of labels, structural ingenuity and jurors favourite. Winners from the local event will go on to compete internationally via slide photography.

The public will have an opportunity to cast their vote for their favourite sculpture on a website set up by the Amazing Persona.

The event will run from March 1-26 in the New Sudbury Shopping Centre, located by Dollarama. Building teams will be busy constructing their creations next Saturday and Sunday to prepare for the grand opening on Monday, March 1, at 11 am.

For more information about the 2008 Canstruction competition, contact Daniel Xilon at 671-9663, by email at [email protected] , or Colleen Fraser at 525-4554, by email at [email protected] .