Belton Canstruction participant earns 2nd Structural Ingenuity Award

Saturday, 09 June 2012 by Terryn Kelly

Members of the Architectural Edge Canstruction team were recently awarded the International Competition’s Structural Ingenuity Award.A fun way to get communities involved in feeding the needy and donate large amounts of canned food has surfaced in the form of a competitive event.

This past February, the city of Belton had its second Canstruction event, which was held at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the Mayborn Campus Center.

"It's a competition between groups seeking to put together the best design made out of canned goods with the ultimate purpose of providing food to those in need in the community," Director of Community Relations and Administration Thomas Strickland said. "On the local level we are looking to have our third competition in 2013; However, Canstruction has consisted since 1992.

"It gives various organizations and businesses an opportunity to work together in an event that generates not only publicity for them, but most importantly, a greater awareness throughout our local community of the need of the underprivileged."

There were many local teams that participated, and did not disappoint with memorable "canstructed" works of art. Miller Heights Baptist Church won the People's Choice. Belton Tiger's Bible CANnectors (FBC) was awarded Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Honorable Mention and Most Cans. They received glass trophies for these categories.

There were no restrictions or specifications as to what the contestants decide to create.

"Designs are limited only by the group's imagination and perhaps the types of cans available to them (consideration maybe put into size and color of canned goods)," Strickland said. "Once a decision is made, a blueprint of the structure is usually drawn up by an engineer or architect. Building time ranges between one and three hours."

A structure titled "Open Your Heart" designed by Architectural Edge, won numerous awards such as Juror's Favorite, which they won both last and this year, and Best Theme. The team can now add another achievement to a growing list of accomplishments; the Structural Ingenuity Award in the international competition. The society for Design Administration's Annual Convention in Portland, Ore., hosted the awards ceremony on May 4.

The dates for the next Canstuction are set for January 24-26, at the same location. All food and money collected will help stock the food pantry of Helping Hands Ministry in Belton. For more information please visit www.helpinghandsbelton.org/canstruction or call (254) 939-7355.

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