Local Businesses Create Sculptures out of Canned Goods

(September 25, 2019 Dayton, OH) – To raise awareness on hunger in the Miami Valley and support The Foodbank, local businesses are building sculptures out of canned goods with CANstruction® which will be on display for the public.

Local construction companies, architects, engineers and manufacturers, will create structures completely from canned goods on site at the Dayton Mall October 2. The event, sponsored by the Ohio Valley Associated Builders and Contractors, will run from October 2 through October 14. The structures, some of which could reach 10 feet high, will be on display at the center of the mall, just outside of Macy’s. All canned goods collected from the event will be donated to The Foodbank to support local hunger relief. Judges will score the CANstructions by Structural Ingenuity, Best Original Design, Best Use of Labels, Best Meals, People’s Choice, and Most Cans.

Michelle L. Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, said, “One in six people in the Miami Valley struggle with hunger. While it is easy to host a food drive to collect nonperishable food items, it takes creativity, ingenuity, and a lot of time to make art out of canned goods. Thanks to Ohio Valley Associated Builders and Contractors and Miami Township, the canned goods collected will provide hundreds of meals for our neighbors in need. We look forward to seeing the teams create their structures all while making a difference for our community.”

John Morris, Miami Township Trustee Vice President said, “The township is excited to be hosting CANstruction inside the Dayton Mall. We hope that people from all over the region come to shop, eat and view these amazing works of art, bringing canned goods of their own to donate. Collection barrels will be available throughout the mall.  We expect to be able to collect and donate nearly 50,000 cans from this event.”

The public is invited to view the artwork at the Dayton Mall from October 2 through October 14. Visitors are encouraged to drop off their own donations beginning the week of October 2 through October 14.

###

The Foodbank relieves hunger in the community through a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food. Food and related supplies are distributed to a network of pantries, community kitchens, shelters and other charitable programs, all of which support the health and development of food insecure individuals in the Miami Valley. Through our over 100 member agencies, The Foodbank distributed over 16 million pounds of food last year. There are 116,720 food insecure individuals in our area, 33,770 of which are children.

Canstruction® is a non-profit 501(c)3 charity which hosts competitions and events creating awe-inspiring, gigantic structures made entirely out of full cans of food. Teams of volunteers, which include design industry professionals, participate in Canstruction events in 150+ cities around the world each year. Afterwards, all food is donated to local food banks. Since 1992, Canstruction has raised over 72 million pounds of food for hunger relief organizations around the world with its signature, trademarked CanArt®.