Fighting hunger through CANstruction
October 20, 2025
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Creative Stantec teams turn cans into art to raise food and funds, helping fight hunger one design at a time
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According to the World Health Organization, 8.2% of the global population, or about 673 million people, experienced hunger in 2024. Although down from 8.5% in 2023 and 8.7% in 2022, progress remains uneven around the world.
Since 1992, CANstruction, an international event uniting the design, engineering, and construction industries, has helped fight hunger through creativity and community. With the mission, “Together we CAN do something to alleviate hunger in our communities,” teams use their design skills to build CANart—sculptures made entirely from canned food—during friendly competitions. All the food used is later donated to local hunger relief organizations after the displays are deconstructed.
In 2024, under the theme “Building Hope, One Can at a Time,” CANstruction events raised more than $641,000 in donations and collected 1,175,000 pounds of food for local food banks. Six teams were recognized internationally for their creativity, ingenuity, and compassion in their CANart designs.
Stantec Plano: “May the Fork Be With You”
Stantec’s Plano, Texas office has proudly participated in CANstruction Dallas since 2015, contributing an average of 30,000 cans over the years.
This year’s sci-fi themed competition, “May the Fork Be With You,” saw our volunteer team from Plano design and build their structure using 3,400 cans. The event raised $27,581, providing 82,743 nutritious meals and 117,560 pounds of food to those in need.
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"altText": "Plano, Text team standing around their can design of a spacechip beaming down. Stantec Staff \u002D Daniel Cahak, John Holland, Natalie Madden, Christopher Zhu, Alicia Thurston, Harsh Chaurasia, Frank Gallegos, Al Hernandez, Jonah Sendelbach",
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Stantec Albany: Award-Winning Designs for a Cause
Since 2016, Stantec’s Albany, New York office has competed annually in the Capital Region CANstruction, one of the top ten food-donating competitions worldwide.
In 2023, the Capital Region event ranked first in cash donations and third in food donations globally. Using over 4,000 cans, the team recreated Albany’s iconic Palace Theatre, earning awards for structural ingenuity and best original design. Their efforts also raised $4,800 for the Food Pantries for the Capital District—a coalition of 71 local food pantries.
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Stantec Phoenix: First-Time Builders, Big Impact
In August, our Phoenix, Arizona office joined their first CANstruction Metro Phoenix competition benefiting St. Mary’s Food Bank.
Under the theme “Nostalgia – Iconic Eras!” the team used 3,580 cans to create their design, helping fight hunger and build community connections.
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"altText": "Aerial view of the Phoenix team begining to build their can structure. Stantec Staff \u002D Darrien Strickler, Matt Tehan, Melissa Serven, Abby Engle, Travis Lopez. ",
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Every Can Makes a Difference
By donating canned food, competition participants take a powerful step toward ending hunger and uplifting communities. Each can represents more than a meal—it’s a message of hope, compassion, and solidarity.
Together, we can make sure that no one goes to bed hungry. Visit www.canstruction.org to find a citywide competition near you. Let’s keep giving, keep caring, and keep fighting hunger—one donation at a time.
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