canstruction Belton: Open Registration

Description

The opportunity to enter a team for the 2012 canstruction Belton competition is now open! You can register your team by going to www.helpinghandsbelton.org/canstruction. 

What is canstruction?
canstruction is a three day event that benefits Helping Hands Ministry. Groups of at least five people form teams to build sculptures made entirely of canned goods. The exhibits are judged by a celebrity panel and awarded for their efforts. At the completion of canstruction, all the canned goods will be delivered to the food pantry at Helping Hands Ministry

What and where is it?
Like 2011, canstruction Belton will again be held the 2nd–4th of February in the Campus Mayborn Center at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Forming teams
Teams are comprised of five official members but are strongly encouraged to recruit family and church members, neighbors, co-workers, and friends to help support their team’s efforts in order to acquire the necessary canned goods. Each team must have an architect, engineer, interior designer or builder as mentor to make sure that the display is structurally sound. If a team does not know of an architect or engineer to help as a mentor, the canstruction committee at Helping Hands can help pair a builder with a team. The mentor’s job is to make sure that the team’s exhibit is structurally sound.

How it’s done
Teams register by September 6th. As teams come up with a model and design for their entry (September), they will then begin acquiring the canned goods for their sculpture. Once all the canned goods are accumulated (November-December,) the team will begin to practice building the different components of their structure over time (December-January.) Eventually, the team will have perfected the constructing of their entire canned sculpture numerous times. On the 2nd of February, the teams will compete by building their entries (5-8PM.) The allowed space for each exhibit is 10’x10’ not exceeding 8’ in height. Teams are allowed to use fishing line, clear tape, thin string as well as cardboard, plywood, Masonite and plastic sheets that are no thicker than ¼”. The labels on each of the cans cannot be covered, marked or painted. Teams from businesses can create their own company’s logo in their structure if they would like.

Event weekend schedule
Teams build their structures on Thursday, February 2nd and then are congratulated for their efforts on Saturday, the 4th during the gala & awards diner. Each team will receive five tickets for the gala dinner. During the gala, Dr. George Harrison of UMHB will speak on the needs of those in the community. At the conclusion of the gala / awards ceremony, teams and volunteers will help with decanstruction. This is when all the cans are boxed and delivered to Helping Hands’ food pantry by way of delivery trucks. Teams will not be responsible for delivering the cans to Helping Hands Ministry, only packing the cans of food into boxes. All funds raised during this three day event will go towards the ministries available to the clients of Helping Hands.

2011 Competition
In February, the first canstruction competiton took place. Over 1,100 people attended the event and over 15,000 pounds of food were raised to help bolster the food pantry of Helping Hands Ministry.
The various winners’ photos from the event were sent to the International canstruction Competition. Hundreds of competions from 4 continents sent their winners to the Interantional Competiion as well. The overall favorite was Architectural Edge’s entry from canstruction Belton. They again are entering and are looking for others to join the 2012 competition.