22 teams + 42,000 cans of food = charity competition

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Mark. Set. Grab your cans as twenty-two teams scramble to design a structure out of canned food during the 22nd year of American Institute of Architects of Northern Nevada CANstruction competition at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 30, at Meadowood Mall.

“The teams have been busy designing their structures, picking their food and preparing for the build on April 30,” said Bob Hooft, architect and CANstruction committee chairman for northern Nevada. “By the time everyone gets to Meadowood Mall to build, they have really given quite a few hours to the project already. That is why it is always such a wonderfully visual event.”

The structures will be built with 42,000 cans of food over 12 hours inside each teams’ 10 foot by 10 foot by 10 foot area.

“We have an immense appreciation for and can’t thank enough all who have helped make this event successful over the past 21 years and the anticipation of seeing what this year’s teams will bring to the mall is exciting,” said outgoing CANstruction Committee Chairman Fred Graham. “I’m sure they will all be incredible.”

The structures will be judged, viewed and donated to people experiencing food insecurity through the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

A panel of jurors will judge the structures in five categories, Best Original Design, Structural Ingenuity, Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, and Most Cans, on Thursday, May 1.

At 6 p.m. that day, there will be an award ceremony in Meadowood Mall’s Center Court.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony and vote in the People’s Choice award from 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 30, through Monday, May 5.

Each People’s Choice award vote costs $1 with the funds going to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

The public can also vote virtually with a $10 vote minimum at fbnn.org.

The structures will be on display through Sunday, May 4.

CANstruction is organized by American Institute of Architects of Northern Nevada and made possible by Northern Nevada Building Trades Development Corp., Hawkins and Associates, Inc., Hooft Architecture, Fred and Janice Graham, and Linchpin Structural Engineering.

CANstruction is also supported by Meadowood Mall, Winco Foods, and Freeman.

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