Canstruction Long Island design/build competition - October 23

Teams from the architecture, engineering and construction industry, as well as students interested in the field, are gearing up to compete at Canstruction Long Island, Inc.'s 2014 design/build competition taking place October 23 to help fight hunger on Long Island. The organization raises awareness and fills the shelves of local food banks through this annual event comprised of sculptures made entirely of non-perishable cans of food. Sponsorship opportunities are still available and registration is open until the end of the month for teams to register to compete in the design competition. Participants can be members of architectural, engineering, design or construction firms and their vendor firms, students at colleges with architectural, engineering, design or construction degree programs, middle to high school students and members of community groups. The professional firms that have committed teams to the competition thus far are B. Thayer Associates, H2M Architects + Engineers, Lines and Designs, Lockwood, Kessler & Bartlett, Inc., Nassau Community College's Interior Design Department and Wiedersum Associates Architects. Middle and high-school-based teams from Friends Academy, Sacred Heart Academy and Temple Sinai will also compete, gaining a first-hand opportunity to learn more about the A/E/C industry, while college-aged team members will interact with firms that could lead to potential internship and/or employment prospects. "Canstruction Long Island's design/build competition is a multi-faceted way for Long Islanders to help each other," said Tracy Lobdell, executive director, Canstruction Long Island, Inc. "It's a creative way for the A/E/C industry to give back to Long Island in the form of both fighting hunger and giving students a first-hand experience to learn more about career prospects in the industry. All of this while creating some beautiful sculptures that will feed hundreds of hungry families." The event takes place at RXR Plaza. The teams build the structures on October 22. The Awards Ceremony takes place on October 23, while the exhibit is open to the public from October 24 through November 5 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to the exhibit is a canned food donation(s). Visitors' donations determine the People's Choice Winner for the competition. For the entire duration of the exhibit, collection bins will be located next to each structure - visitors vote for their favorite structure by placing their food donation in the bin next to their favorite structure. The structure with the most donations in its bin wins "People's Choice." Since 2007, Canstruction Long Island has held its annual competition where teams of design and construction professionals, college students and middle and high school students led by architects and engineers, showcase their talent and creativity by creating giant, self-supporting structures out of cans of non-perishable food. For more information about sponsoring Canstruction Long Island, forming a team or attending the awards reception, please visit www.canstructionli.org.