Editorial
Front Page - Friday, February 5, 2010
CANstruction – educational food fundraiser, benefits Food Bank
Stephanie Coward
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank distributed over 8.8 million pounds of food throughout its 20 county region in 2009.
The Food Bank has many programs that contribute to to the successful distribution to the hungry. It relies on generous contributions from individuals and group events, said Gary Paul, Food Bank development director/PR. One such event, which greatly benefits the hungry in Hamilton County, is CANstruction, hosted by the Chattanooga Chapter of American Institute of Architects (AIA).
The international design and build competition pairs local architectural firms, engineering firms and others with groups of students from the county’s schools. This year the students are middle schoolers who participate in the gifted program, according to Tonya Gentry, event co-chair and marketing director for March Adams and Associates.
The six teams will build sculptures – solely out of canned food – based on the 2010 theme, CANservation. They will erect the massive sculptures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 20 at Warehouse Row; the public is invited to enjoy the building event at no cost. Chair and intern architect at Artech Design Group, Kelly Fitzgerald, said it is really neat to see the kids in action with the pros.
“I really hope people will come out and see what’s going on during the day,” she said. For those that can’t make it down that Saturday, the sculptures will be on display through Feb. 28, at which time they will be disassembled and Food Bank employees will pick up the cans.
All of the cans are donated and used to fill Emergency Relief Boxes for Hamilton County residents. Over 17,000 boxes of food – totaling over 800,000 pounds – were distributed last year, according to Paul.
The event’s popularity is always increasing, perhaps due in part to the enormity of the event and its subsequent impact. There are more schools that want to participate than there is room for, according to Fitzgerald, but they try to accommodate as many as possible.
AIA President Brian Clarke said continued growth of the event is dependent on the exhibit space available. “We’re always thankful there are volunteers,” he said, but “some of the structures can easily encapsulate an 8 feet by 10 feet area.” Which is why the event, in its eighth year, only has two teams more than it did in its first year.
CANstruction relies on donations from local firms, sponsors and the community. We always have a great turnout as far as companies are concerned, Fitzgerald said. This is her third year planning the affair, which is a feat in itself. Two weeks after the event, the committee will have a break out session and discuss it, before moving on to the next year’s plans. After a two-month break, they will meet again, with regular meetings beginning in June.
The event not only benefits a wonderful cause, Fitzgerald said, but is also a great way to expose children to what architects and engineers do, as the amount of precision that goes into the sculptures is astounding. The design ideas are generally left up to the children, though Gentry, who participated in the program as a sculptor in 2003, works closely with the students to help them narrow their grandiose focus. Some things just won’t stand alone when built solely from canned foods; no glue or tape or anything else is used in the creations.
The all-day event concludes with a casual ball in the evening. The unCANventional Ball will take place from 7 to 11 p.m. Feb. 20. Specialty beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be provided from local restaurants as well as music from local band, ToneHarm. “It’s a great, fun party,” Gentry said.
The awards ceremony is held the Tuesday after the event every year, which this year will be Feb. 23 at noon at Warehouse Row. A five-person panel picked by the committee judges the sculptures. The awards that will be distributed include the four from the national level: Jurors Favorite; Structural Ingenuity; Best Use of Labels and Best Meal (that can be made from the cans used). Because the committee wants to ensure all involved enjoy the experience, it always has the same number of awards in relation to teams. This year, there will also be awards for the Most UnCANventional and the Most Thematic.
All agree that CANstruction is a learning experience and the building requires great attention to detail. For instance, not all 15-ounce cans are the same size across the board according to Gentry. Can size, weight and color are given quite a bit of consideration after the design is determined.
To learn more about CANstruction and view slideshows of past competitions, visit www.canstruction.org. Those who want to donate to the Food Bank can learn how at their Web site, www.chattfoodbank .org.
|
|