It was Monday, October 27th when teams all throughout Long Island unified to assist in the fight against hunger. CANstruction is a noteworthy charity where “one CAN can make a difference.” To help support this cause, many students and staff in East Rockaway rallied together to form our very own CANstruction team. The crew took to RXR Plaza to support this cause and its efforts to put an end to starvation on Long Island.

CANstruction seeks to lend a helping hand to the many Long Islanders who are continuously waking up hungry and malnourished. Their mission is to combat this issue with the assistance of volunteers who are permitted 12 hours to construct breathtaking builds using nothing but cans of food, which are later donated.  Following the day of building, the CANstructures are judged in a wide range of categories. Along with this, the exhibit of cans is open to the public. The cost to be admitted is just one can of food, and, once the exhibit is closed, ALL cans are donated to local food banks! CANstruction has been able to donate millions of pounds of food (over 530,000 cans) and roughly $111,500 to help feed many on Long Island!

When the East Rockaway CANstruction team partook in the fundraising event, they returned with not 1 but 2 awards! Specifically, one being for The Most CANtabulous Build (Jurors Favorite) along with The Best CANfiguration (Structural Integrity). These awards were granted to the group’s build, “TIME TO END HUNGER.” Their structure resembles a clock, inspired by the notion believing now is the moment to end hunger. To bring the design to life, the crew used 1,700 cans, including tomato sauce, black beans, lentil soup, and peas. The canned goods used in “TIME TO END HUNGER” are to be donated to food banks across Long Island, which will provide for many families in need.

It is crucial that East Rockaway gets in on the act. Hunger is an issue that will not go away unless we take charge. It is imperative that charity’s like CANstruction work to alleviate this predicament, or else hunger across Long Island will not regress, but continue to escalate.