9th Annual CANstruction(R) Competition Features Structures Built From Full Cans of Food; 50,000 Cans Used in Structures, Then Do
March 04 2009 - 5:41PM
PR Newswire (US)
Local Community Invited to Come Witness the Build-Out of Structures
ST. LOUIS, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- CANstruction(R) is the most
unique food drive in the world and here in St. Louis. Architects,
engineers and builders from all over the St. Louis area will strut
their design and construction genius to see whose team can build
the most spectacular structure using little more than full cans of
food. All this design talent is put to the test to make a
difference in the cause to fight hunger in the St. Louis community.
Sponsored by Charter Communications and Save-A-Lot Food Stores
under the leadership of the Society for Design Administration's St.
Louis Chapter, this year's CANstruction(R) events are on track to
collect more than 50,000 cans of food for the St. Louis Area
Foodbank and the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry to feed the
hungry in St. Louis, a number which would likely make the event the
largest single collection effort for the community. "While people
are very generous during the holiday season, food donations
typically slow down after the first of the year. The need for
assistance remains the same, or in this economy, continues to
increase," said Sue Rundblad, Coordinator of the Harvey Kornblum
Jewish Food Pantry. The CANstruction exhibit will kick off on
Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m. at St. Louis Mills, located at 5555 St.
Louis Mills in Hazelwood, Mo., with a kick-off press conference
featuring local teams, sponsors and community leaders. Photo and
interview opportunities are available for press. The teams will
then work for 24-hours to build their structures. Once completed,
the exhibit will remain open to the public from March 6-16 during
St. Louis Mills normal business hours. "This competition and
exhibit plays a major role in spreading the word about the growing
issue of hunger in St. Louis," said Vicki Hayden, Society for
Design Administration. "SDA's creation of the program demonstrates
how everyone can get involved using their own talents in the fight
against hunger." At the close of the exhibit, the structures will
be dismantled and all of the canned food used to build the
sculptures will be donated to The St. Louis Area Foodbank and the
Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry for distribution to local
kitchens and pantries throughout the St. Louis Metro Area. Between
the two initiatives, it is expected that over 50,000 pounds of food
will be collected, which is equivalent to more than 78,000 meals.
St. Louis based Save-A-Lot Food Stores is the exclusive grocery
partner for the campaign. "Our partnership with CANstruction(R)
aligns with our commitment to help fight hunger right here at
home," said Bill Shaner, President and Chief Executive Officer for
Save-A-Lot. "We are proud to be a part of such a meaningful event,"
said Steve Trippe, Vice President and General Manager for Charter
Communications in St. Louis. "The design community has come up with
a unique way to raise awareness and fight this serious problem
facing so many people in our community." For more information and
photo examples of structures, please visit
http://www.canstruction.org/. About CANstruction(R) CANstruction(R)
is a very unique food charity that challenges the skills of some of
the best engineering and architecture firms across the country. A
foundation of the Society for Design Administration (SDA),
CANstruction(R) is a design/build competition currently held in
cities through North America. Teams of engineers, architects, and
students mentored by these professionals, compete to design and
build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food. Prizes
are awarded for various categories, including Best Use of Label,
Best Meal and Structural Ingenuity. Since its inception, more the
TEN MILLION POUNDS of food have been donated to aid in the fight
against hunger. Initiated by the Denver, Seattle and New York
Chapter of the SDA in 1992/93, CANstruction(R) now has over 135
individual competitions scheduled to take place. About Save-A-Lot
Save-A-Lot is the nation's leading extreme value, edited assortment
grocery chains, operating close to 1,200 value-oriented stores in
all types of neighborhoods -- urban, rural and suburban -- and
delivers terrific savings, up to 40% compared to conventional
grocery stores. Our grocery store network spans from Maine to
California, serving more than 4 million shoppers each week.
Customers enjoy savings on exclusive Save-A-Lot brands and national
brands, plus USDA-inspected beef, pork and poultry, farm-fresh
fruits and vegetables and non-food items. Save-A-Lot also offers a
selection of baked goods, dairy, frozen food items and general
merchandise. Save-A-Lot is a wholly owned subsidiary of SUPERVALU
INC., a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest companies in the
United States grocery channel. About SDA For over 46 years, the
Society for Design Administration (SDA), an affiliate of The
American Institute of Architects, has promoted education and best
practices in management and professional standards of design firm
administrative personnel. SDA Membership stretches across the
United States and Canada and is composed of personnel in the design
profession, including architecture, engineering, construction,
landscape and interior design. SDA enhances the professional
development and personal growth of its members, and consequently
the development and growth of their respective companies. To
accomplish this, SDA provides a host of networking opportunities,
as well as educational resources in the areas of: Finance, Human
Resources, Information Technology, Marketing, Office
Administration, and Project Management. About Charter
Communications Charter Communications, Inc. is a leading broadband
communications company and the third-largest publicly traded cable
operator in the United States. Charter provides a full range of
advanced broadband services, including Charter Digital Home(TM)
video entertainment programming, Charter High-Speed(R) Internet
access, and Charter Telephone(R). Charter Business(TM) similarly
provides scalable, tailored, and cost-effective broadband
communications solutions to business organizations, such as
business-to-business Internet access, data networking, video and
music entertainment services, and business telephone. Charter's
advertising sales and production services are sold under the
Charter Media(R) brand. More information about Charter can be found
at http://www.charter.com/. DATASOURCE: Save-A-Lot Food Stores
CONTACT: Jaime Powers of Save-A-Lot Food Stores, +1-314-368-3654
Web Site: http://www.save-a-lot.com/
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