Buddy Depew

Buddy Depew

‘Canstruction’ sculpture contest reaps goods for food banks

PORT ANGELES — A canned food sailboat sculpture designed and built by a team from First Federal took top honors at the first annual Canstruction contest and foodraiser this weekend.

The First Federal team earned the Juror’s Choice award, the Structural Integrity award and the People’s Choice award.

The Merrill & Ring entry earned the Best Meal award, with a recipe for “spicy southwest chicken bean soup,” created from the ingredients of the cans used to build the team’s hermit crab in a sea shell.

The team even included a Crock-Pot full of their recipe creation for judges to enjoy at the awards ceremony.

Peninsula Behavioral Health’s edible representation of the MV Coho ferry earned the Best Use of Labels award.

Windermere’s recreation of an iconic 2012 photograph of a giant great white shark following a kayak was awarded honorable mention.

In total, 8,202 cans of food were used in Canstruction, and several hundred more cans of food were brought by visitors.

The food cans donated as admission to the sculpture exhibit at the Peninsula Behavioral Health offices on W. Eighth Street had not yet been counted.

“We had several hundred people here Saturday,” Miller said.

In addition to the canned food admission, the event collected $90 in donations.

“We hoped for more and expected less,” she said.

On Sunday, the sculptures were dismantled by about 20 employees and volunteers from area food banks and loaded into trucks to be given to those in need.

The largesse will be split three ways — 20 percent to the Peninsula Behavioral Health residential program, 40 percent to the Port Angeles Food Bank and 40 percent to the Sequim Food Bank, Miller said.

“People are already planning for next year,” she said.

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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.

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