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Thursday, October 23, 2003

Raising Awareness in Louisiana with CANstructions

The entries may look like art, but after the contest, they're edible. That's what many people learned about the 2003 CANstruction Competition recently held in Shreveport.

Just Dog Gone Hungry

Pac Can

Let's Pull Together to Can Hunger

The goal of the competition was simple: Build the most elaborate designs possible out of canned food.

Competing teams, lead by architects and engineers, showcased their talents by designing giant sculptures made entirely out of canned foods. At the close of the exhibits, the food used in the structures was donated to the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank, a sponsor of the event.

Entries included Pac Can, a recreation of the famous computer hero Pac Man, built by students at Captain Shreve High School; Let's Pull Together to Can Hunger, constructed by Slack-Alost-McSwain & Associates and featured "The King" slot machine; and Just Dog Gone Hungry, by Alliance, Inc., featuring a rendering of French Quarter artist George Rodrigue's blue dog.

The food bank functions as a collection and distribution center for more than 150 non-profit agencies and serves the needy in seven northwest Louisiana parishes. Food is distributed through member agencies to needy individuals free-of-charge.

As a member of the local Continuum of Care called HOPE for the Homeless, the food bank works closely with homeless providers that serve as distribution centers. Last year the food bank and its member agencies distributed some five million pounds of food to the hungry.

The King slot machine may have been named "Jurors' Favorite" at the competition, but the real winners were the many needy individuals whose pains of hunger were diminished by the 11,061 pounds of food used in the sculptures.