The Father Fred Foundation believes area businesses can make a difference in the community and is making them prove it through a new event – a CANstruction competition at the Grand Traverse Mall later this month.

CANstruction Inc. is a non-profit organization that supports local cities across the country in hosting competitions to build giant structures made entirely out of canned food. Structures can be up to eight feet tall and range from Elvis to polar bears to scenes from ancient Rome. Once completed, all the food is donated to area food banks.

In the case of Traverse City, the food will go to the Father Fred Foundation and help kick off the annual Frostbite Food Drive in early February.

“CANstruction competitions raise tons of food each year to help those most in need, while raising community awareness through corporate citizenry,” says Kathy Britten, of Father Fred.

Britten expects more than 16,000 cans to be donated from the competition.

Eight teams are participating, ranging from area businesses to groups of family and friends. They include Fox Motors, Consumers Energy, Grand Traverse Academy, Kitchen Choreography, Huntington Bank, Britten, Inc., the T.C. Anchor Club and the Dietz family.

“CANstruction provides an opportunity for our kids to work as a team creatively,” says Valeri Dietz Klein, who’s leading the Dietz Family team with help of architect Sarah Bourgeois (each team must have an architect or designer on board.) “But more importantly, it’s an opportunity for them to remember there are people all around us that have unexpected needs, and there are many ways we can each help."

An estimated 3,800 cans will be used to complete Britten’s structure – which is top secret.

So, where are all these cans coming from? “We’re doing fundraising efforts across our entire company,” explains Kaitlyn Burns of Britten Inc. “We really want this to be a ‘Britten-thing,’ meaning get everyone involved on some level.”

Consumers Energy is also keeping its sculpture under wraps, but expects it will take up to six hours to build. The company is donating all the cans, but is asking employees to donate food during the actual Frostbite Food Drive.

The sculptures will be judged in several categories, including best meal, best use of labels and jurors’ favorite.

The teams will be building the structures on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Grand Traverse Mall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The creations will remain on display through Feb. 1.

For more information about the event or the Frostbite Food Drive, call 947-2055 or click here.