Canstruction facts for kids
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| Founded | 1992 |
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| Founder | Cheri Melillo |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Purpose | Help people in need |
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Area served
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International |
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Members
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Over 200 cities worldwide |
| Website | www.canstruction.org |
Canstruction is a super cool event where people build amazing sculptures using only cans of food! It's a special kind of competition where architects, engineers, builders, and even students work together. They design and create huge structures made entirely from full cans.
The best part? After the competition, all the food cans are given to local food banks. These food banks then share the food with people who need it. Canstruction started in 1992 thanks to a person named Cheri Melillo. Since then, it has collected millions of pounds of food for communities around the world. It's now one of the biggest food drives globally, with over 170 cities and 30,000 volunteers taking part!
Contents
How Canstruction Started
Canstruction began in 1992. Cheri Melillo, who worked with design and construction groups, came up with the idea. She wanted to bring people from these fields together. Her goal was to have them compete in a fun way while also helping their communities.
Cheri worked as a volunteer leader for Canstruction for 17 years. She passed away in 2009. Her hard work helped Canstruction grow into a huge success. She received many awards for her efforts. For example, she was honored by the American Institute of Architects in 2000. She also received awards from groups like City Harvest, which helps feed people in New York City.
The Canstruction Competitions
Canstruction competitions happen all over the world. Teams get together to build their amazing can sculptures.
Rules for Building
Teams are usually made up of architects, engineers, or designers. Sometimes, these professionals guide students or other groups. Each team is responsible for getting all the canned food they need for their structure.
Only five people can work on building the structure at one time. One extra person can help unbox the cans. Teams can switch members during the building process. The entire structure must be built within a set time, usually one day (12 to 16 hours).
Teams can only use a few extra supplies besides cans and boxed food. All cans must be full, unopened, and have their labels on them. This is important because food banks cannot accept cans without labels.
Local Competitions
In cities around the world, teams compete to build their giant food can structures. Local judges pick the winners in different categories. These categories include "Jurors' Favorite" (the judges' top pick) and "Best Use of Labels." Other awards are given for "Best Meal" (a structure made of cans that could make a good meal), "Structural Ingenuity" (for clever building), and "People's Choice."
After the local winners are chosen, their photos are sent to a national panel of judges. These judges then pick the international winners. The can structures are often displayed for about a week for everyone to see. Visitors are encouraged to bring a canned good as "admission." All the food from the sculptures and the donations goes to the local food bank.
International Competition
Every year, there's an International Canstruction Competition. Cities from many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and South America, compete. They all want to win the international titles in categories like "Jurors' Favorite" and "Most Cans."
The International Canstruction Competition Convention is held in a different city each year. For example, in 2010, it was held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Amazing Canstruction Displays
Breaking a World Record
In January 2010, Disney teamed up with Canstruction to build the biggest canned food structure ever! This amazing structure was built at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. It officially broke a Guinness World Record on February 11, 2010.
This event was part of Disney's "Celebrate Family Volunteers" program. It encouraged people to volunteer their time to help others. The record-breaking structure used an incredible 115,527 cans of food! After it was taken apart, all those cans were sent to food banks in Florida and Atlanta. This provided about 70,000 meals for people in need.
See also
