Press Release
Giant sculptures rise from cans at CANstruction PDX build day
Giant sculptures rise from cans at CANstruction PDX build day
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2025
Contact: Morgan Dewey, press@oregonfoodbank.org
Portland firms bring imagination to life — all to benefit Oregon Food Bank during Hunger Action Month
Portland, Ore. — Today, shoppers at Pioneer Place mall watched a Portland tradition take shape: a fruit truck, a friendly hippo and other larger-than-life sculptures rising from thousands of cans of food. The occasion? CANstruction PDX Build Day — when teams of architects, engineers and builders spend hours transforming canned goods into whimsical works of art, all to support Oregon Food Bank.
The 29th annual CANstruction PDX competition officially kicked off today and will be on display at Pioneer Place mall through Sept. 28. Teams are vying for titles like Best Original Design and People’s Choice — and after the competition ends, every can used in the sculptures is donated to Oregon Food Bank. From there, the food is distributed across a statewide network of 21 regional food banks and more than 1,200 food assistance sites across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
This year’s goal is to provide 20,000 meals through the event. Since its launch in 1992, the international competition has donated more than 20 million pounds of food across the country. In Portland alone, the event has provided nearly 681,000 pounds of food and more than $250,000 to support communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. And the timing couldn’t be more meaningful: September is Hunger Action Month, a time where communities across the country come together to help end hunger and its root causes.
“At CANstruction, we see every can of food not just as a donation, but as a building block for a stronger community,” said Chris Mount, Director of the CANstruction Committee. “Each carefully placed can isn’t just part of a sculpture; it’s a foundational block in our effort to build a more food-secure Oregon.”
“This year’s Build Day was a powerful reminder of Portland’s creativity and compassion,” added Marissa Gray, Oregon Food Bank spokesperson. “Even as food insecurity rises — with visits to food assistance sites up 31% this past year — federal cuts have slashed millions in food and funding from Oregon Food Bank. Events like CANstruction show how, despite these challenges, our community continues to come together in innovative ways to resist hunger.”
Visitors can support Oregon Food Bank by voting for their favorite sculptures at OregonFoodBank.org/CANstruction2025. Each vote is cast with a donation. Last year’s event raised nearly $1,500 and 20,000 pounds of food — equating 17,000 meals.
Participating companies include: David Evans and Associates, Hennebery Eddy Architects, Mortenson Company, KPFF Consulting Engineers, Swinerton, ZGF Architects, Soderstrom Architects, TM Rippey Consulting Engineers and Bremik Construction
For media inquiries contact Morgan Dewey at press@oregonfoodbank.org, 801-712-7969.
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The “Hungry Hungry Hippo” is finished and ready to feast! Built entirely from cans of food, this playful sculpture is one of the highlights of CANstruction PDX — with every can donated to Oregon Food Bank this Hunger Action Month.
“Friendly Freddy the Fruit Truck” is fully built, complete with a massive watermelon — all made from cans. Every piece of the sculpture will be donated to Oregon Food Bank to help provide meals for families across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Additional photos available upon request.
ABOUT OREGON FOOD BANK
At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that food and health are basic human rights for all. We know that hunger is not just an individual experience; it is also a community-wide symptom of barriers to employment, education, housing, and healthcare. That’s why we work systemically in our mission to end hunger in Oregon: we build community connections to help people access nourishing, affordable food today, and we build community power to eliminate the root causes of hunger for good. Join us online OregonFoodBank.org and @oregonfoodbank on social media.
ABOUT CANStructionPDX
To feed and inspire the world – one can at a time. Canstruction® is a unique international charity which hosts exhibitions and competitions of giant whimsical and wildly inventive sculptures made entirely out of full cans of food. After they are built, the teams of architects, engineers, and contractors display their structures to the public to compete for winning titles. Recognized for our commitment to hunger relief and helping communities strengthen local food systems, the Portland event has raised more than one million meals to help fight hunger in Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Learn more at www.canstructionpdx.org
