Charity takes shape at Canstruction

Posted 4/4/12

A tugboat took shape in the Skywalk of Providence Place Mall Saturday morning. A few yards away, a life-sized game of Angry Birds was ready to be waged, next to a giant cupcake. The common link to …

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Charity takes shape at Canstruction

Posted

A tugboat took shape in the Skywalk of Providence Place Mall Saturday morning. A few yards away, a life-sized game of Angry Birds was ready to be waged, next to a giant cupcake. The common link to these unusual structures? They are made entirely of cans, and each will benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

“I love the energy around this project. I love that people are taking their talents and putting them to a great purpose,” said Cindy Elder, director of communications for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Canstruction is a national charitable competition that engages designers, architects and construction workers to create art with canned goods. The creations will be on display locally at Providence Place for the next two weeks, and will then be taken apart and donated to the Food Bank.

“The architects and contractors love it because it’s a very public community serve. We love a competition, and the public gets to see a little bit of what we do on a daily basis,” said Drayton Fair, principal of LLB Architects and the originator of Canstruction in Rhode Island.

Fair had seen Canstruction events across the country through his involvement with the American Institute of Architects. When he returned to work in Rhode Island, he decided to bring the competition to the Ocean State with him.

“I really wanted to start a Canstruction competition here,” he said, noting that Canstruction has been run consecutively for the past four years, with a tremendous outpouring of support from design professions and donors. Six teams competed this year.

Teams must register in December, giving them plenty of time to brainstorm ideas. When the competition arrives, they can work for as long as it takes to bring their concept to life. They must carefully plan what cans they need, based both on size and on the labels. Cans are purchased by the teams through a combination of sponsor contributions and donors.

“Build day is very exciting because you get to wander around and see what the other teams have come up with. It’s always a mystery,” he said.

Last year, Fair’s team constructed a giant replica of Stewie from the cartoon comedy Family Guy. He has seen similarly challenging undertakings, like a big blue bug, a lighthouse and a giant wave made by Dimeo Construction. Teams are encouraged to primarily use cans for their projects, avoiding the use of tape or glue that could damage the cans.

“The idea is you should do your best to use the least amount of extra materials possible,” Fine said. “If a sculpture looks like it defies gravity, it’s very interesting.”

Entries are judged for structural ingenuity, best use of labels and the best meal. Local entries compete for awards at the national level through the AIA conference. Through April 10, the public can vote for a fan favorite at Facebook.com/ProvidencePlace.

There is a gala awards presentation scheduled for Thursday, April 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Skywalk. A donation of $10 is suggested, and will benefit the Food Bank. Door prizes include a baseball signed by David Ortiz and hundreds of dollars in Providence Place Mall gift certificates.

This year, Fair’s team was busy recreating a scene from Angry Birds. Next door to their display, a Cranston-based team was busy putting the finishing touches on their tugboat in the early afternoon Saturday. The team includes representatives from Saccoccio & Associates architects, DiPrete Engineering and E. Turgeon Construction.

“We’ll build a building out in the real world,” said Leo Grenier of Saccoccio & Associates.

Months prior to the competition, the three businesses come together and each team member brings an idea for their sculpture. The design concepts are posted on a bulletin board and the team takes a vote to decide the winner. In the past, they’ve constructed a Mini Cooper, a fire extinguisher and a “Canfather” clock. This year’s tugboat is set before a view of the Providence harbor, and includes more than 4,000 cans, costing close to $7,000. Raising money has become easier over the years, as Canstruction becomes a well-known event in the construction and design industry.

“I think a lot of people know about it now. A lot of people wanted to come and actually see the build this year,” said Sheryl Bezak from DiPrete Engineering.

Brianna Moretti, an intern with Saccoccio who worked on the design, said figuring out the plans for the 3-D tugboat was a challenge.

“It took a lot of time. It’s a lot of trial and error,” she said.

Besides the benefit of promoting their companies, Grenier said it feels good to give back.

“We give back to the community in several different ways,” he said of his company. “Personally, it’s a rewarding experience. “Sometimes you forget how fortunate you are. Things like this really bring it home.”

Grenier’s “Tug Away Hunger” team structure was awarded jurors’ favorite and best meal. The “New England CAN Bake Lobster” won best use of labels.

When Elder sees the sculptures, she’s focused on the types of foods being featured.

“I’m always looking at the food that’s coming back to us. I see mostly core foods that a family can use, so it’s a great example of how you can really feed a family,” she said.

Last year’s Canstruction collected more than 20,000 pounds of food for the Food Bank. Since 1992, Canstruction has contributed more than 17.5 million pounds of food nationwide. Last year alone, well over 2.5 million pounds of canned goods were collected.

“That’s a big contribution, and beyond the contribution, the awareness that it brings to people who are just walking through the mall is fantastic. It’s a reminder that hunger isn’t a problem just on the holidays. It’s an everyday experience for a lot of people,” Elder said.

Typically, donations drop significantly after the holiday season, and in the summer in particular. Events like Canstruction keep the momentum going, and Elder said that is crucial to meet the growing demand.

“We’re serving more people than ever before. The need continues to grow,” she said. “Increasingly, we’re seeing more people who formerly thought of themselves as middle class. Because of the length of the recession, people have run through their savings and they have made a lot of difficult choices. A lot of times, by the time they get to the food pantry, this is the last stop; they’ve exhausted their resources.”

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank is always in need of food donations, volunteers and financial support. With every $1 donation, they have the buying power to purchase three pounds of food. To contribute to the Food Bank, visit www.rifoodbank.org or call 942-6325.

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