There was a little concern that it would not happen this year, but with the determination of nine teams, the 18th annual Canstruction® Reno event went off without a hitch on May 19th. Five student and four professional teams stacked their way to teetering heights using cans of chili, spinach, roast beef hash, collard greens and more. Over 21,000 pounds (23,400 cans) of food were within the artistic displays at Meadowood Mall and provided a creative way to help bring awareness to growing food insecurities that families face in northern Nevada.

Teams had 12 hours to build their structures within the confines of a 10’x10’x10’ cube. With AIANN members and associate members either assisting teams or participating as teams, the event was a hugely successful collaboration between AIANN and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada (FBNN). The structures stood for four days, and once they came down, food from the event was donated to FBNN. It equated to over 17,500 meals that will be distributed to hungry neighbors in our community.

The structures were judged and awarded in five different categories in addition to a People’s Choice award ($1 per vote) that capped off the event. This year’s structures included a flowering blossom, Minecraft’s Creeper, a Recipe for Disaster, Grogu (for Star Wars fans), a C140 dropping pallets of food, and the Up House, among others. Awards were given based on various factors related to how the teams used and assemble the cans. People’s Choice voting also resulted in an additional $1,418 from the Reno community, which will allow FBNN to purchase even more meals for those in need.

CANstruction has been suspended in numerous cities worldwide due to restrictions set in place because of COVID-19, so the AIANN committee members and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada are grateful to all who participated and were able to make this year’s event a success. Thanks to all of you!

This year’s winners:

• Most Cans: ‘Rise Above Hunger,’ Marce Herz Middle School (5,712 cans)
• Structural Ingenuity: ‘Blossom,’ AT&T Pioneers
• Best Meal: ‘Recipe For Disaster,’ Collaborative Design Studio
• Best Use of Labels: ‘Not Baby Yoda,’ Pack 46/Trivium Packaging
• Best Original Design: ‘Mine-Can Creeper,’ Sky Ranch Middle School
• People’s Choice Award: ‘Rise Above Hunger,’ Marce Herz Middle School

International Competition Winners:

• Best Use of Labels: ‘Spike the Scorpion,’ Sage Ridge School
• Structural Integrity: ‘Melted Ice Cream Cone,’ C/S and OneStudio D+A

Look for CANstruction in 2022; we hope to see you participating as part of a team or helping out a student team for the event. We want to encourage anyone to take on the challenge of building your own creative Can-structure to help fight hunger in the community. It’s a great experience and a fun way to be involved in our community.