Canned food donations help community

To get into the Thanksgiving spirit, two construction-related service projects are promoting student involvement all while helping the community.
On Friday at 12:30 p.m., the School of Architecture and the Center for Urban and Community Design (CUCD) will be participating in the  University of Miami’s own version of the national “Canstruction” movement, a non-profit organization that collects canned food donations and helps spread awareness about issues involving hunger.
Teams around the school will compete in a timed, building competition, in which members will replicate and build structures out of the canned food donations.
After the competition is over, all donations will then be given to Camillus House, to help feed families in need.
“I am very excited about ‘Canstruction’ this year,” said Lauren Stark, an architecture teaching assistant who helped organize the event. “It is a great way for UM to get involved and give back to its community.”
The building craze does not stop there. Student Government developed its own version called “Can U Build It?”.
Teams of students are asked to collect as many canned goods throughout the week. On Monday, the teams will then use the cans to build the largest and most creative “Can Castle” on the Green.
Groups of students and student organizations can form teams. Cans will be donated to the Food Banks of South Florida. Registration must be made prior to competing by emailing Executive-at-Large External Melissa Guller, m.guller@umiami.edu.
The winning team, up to ten members, will receive $20 gift certificates to the Rat.
Greek organizations that collect over 100 cans will obtain written letters of their participation in an on-campus philanthropic event.