Providence, RI – Canstruction ®Rhode Island has again challenged several teams of architects, construction professionals and their team sponsors to provide a sizeable donation to the R.I. Community Food Bank (www.rifoodbank.org) in April, while raising public awareness of the problem of hung “Challenges often elicit great performances, and we expect this year’s teams to meet and even exceed the performances of the past three Canstruction®RI events,” said R. Drayton Fair, AIA, ALA, LEED AP, co-chair for the event and a partner at LLB Architects, Pawtucket, R.I. He is a past-president of the American Institutof Architects, Rhode Island chapter (AIAri), which initiates each exhibit as part of AIA support of the Societyfor Design Administration’s nationwide and international Canstruction® community service project.
After spending the last few months on fund-raising efforts and designing astounding sculptures, each of seven teams will build its creation from approximately 3,000 to 6,000 cans of food on Saturday morning, March 31. The sculptures will be on display at the Providence Place Mall Skybridge Concourse through Friday, April 13.
They will be “de-canstructed” Saturday, April 14, when an anticipated 20,000 to 30,000 canned goods will be transported to the Food Bank. Every month, the Food Bank’s network of emergency food pantries serves more than 60,000 people. One in three is a child under the age of 18.
“The Canstruction exhibit highlights the fact that more Rhode Islanders than ever need help in putting food on the table,” said Andrew Schiff, chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “We’re grateful to all the talented participants and to Providence Place for providing space where thousands of people can see these amazing sculptures. This impressive project serves as a reminder that the problem of hunger is close to home, affecting every community in Rhode Island.”