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LEAD Council Launches Third ‘Canstruction’ Competition,
Invites Student Groups to Participate
Published: February 05, 2025
at 11:00 a.m.
By: Press Release
from NNY Community Foundation
LEAD Council Launches Third ‘Canstruction’ Competition,
Invites Student Groups to Participate
Project Aims to Restock Food Pantries, Backpack
Programs, Combat Food Insecurity
 WATERTOWN — The LEAD Council
of the Northern New York Community Foundation invites local students at
tri-county schools and organized student groups in Jefferson, Lewis, and
St. Lawrence counties to participate in a creative and impactful project to
help reduce food insecurity across the North Country.
The “Canstruction
for Northern New York” initiative is back for a third year as a team
activity to encourage local students to team up and construct a fun, themed
structure made of donated canned food and other nonperishable food items or
hygiene products. Collected items are donated to a local food pantry or
backpack program of their choice at the end of the competition.
Joining the
competition is easy through an online registration at bit.ly/CanstructionRegister. Teams must register to
participate by Friday, Feb. 28, and select the local food pantry or
backpack program that will receive team donations.
Participating
students will have a chance to support essential needs for tri-county
residents while learning the values of community philanthropy and building
school spirit around a project that makes a meaningful difference in the
lives of others. Overall, the project aims to raise awareness about hunger
and food insecurity in our communities while empowering students to
collaborate and inspire their school and community to join the effort.
Examples of canstruction projects may be found on the project web
page at bit.ly/CanstructionNNY. Canstruction
teams will compete for one of three chances to present a $500 grant to a
nonprofit they care about most. A winning team will be named in the
following three categories: “Top Collection Award” (most items donated/collected),
“Best Design Award,” and “People’s Choice Award” (selected by an online
vote).
Last year, eight
participating teams combined to collect more than 5,200 canned food and
other nonperishable food items or hygiene products that helped restock two
school-based backpack programs. Winning teams shared $1,500 in grant
funding that was presented to the two backpack programs participants
selected.
Indian River
Central School’s entry was the “People’s Choice Award” winner for its
sculpture titled “Diversity.” The class also won the “Top Collection Award”
with more than 2,600 canned goods and other nonperishable items collected.
The “Best Design Award” went to Canton Central’s Banford Elementary School for
its “canstruction” of “We CAN build our ABCs.”
Backpack programs at each school district received
the collected goods.
Like previous
years, each winning team will award a $500 grant to their chosen federally
classified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving residents of Jefferson,
Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. Contact Max DelSignore, Community
Foundation assistant director, at max@nnycf.org for additional guidelines
on nonprofit selection.
All canstruction projects must be submitted by Friday,
April 4. Complete project rules, including a sample planning calendar with
key project deadlines, is available on the project
web page at bit.ly/CanstructionNNY. The Community
Foundation will provide a follow-up form to each registrant explaining the
process for project submissions.
About the LEAD
Council
The LEAD Council
was chartered in 2014 as advisory committee of the Northern New York
Community Foundation empowered to identify and address strategic needs in
Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. The Council is comprised of 22
young professionals who live and work in the tri-county area with an
interest in enhancing the quality of life for all in the North Country.
LEAD is an acronym that reflects four important guiding principles of the
Community Foundation’s work: Leadership, Engagement, Access, and Direction.
The Council works
to gain a deeper understanding of community needs, issues, and the
nonprofit sector to augment the Community Foundation’s mission and work.
Since its inception, the LEAD Council has developed several creative
initiatives to benefit the community and region. Strategic efforts include
its “LEADing the Way” volunteer program,
enhancements to child care and early childhood
development programs, hyper-local support for anti-poverty initiatives,
community giving challenges, and building philanthropic values in the region’s
schools through student-led projects.
About the
Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the
Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and
enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson,
Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through
partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual
donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an
endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment
to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for
generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community
philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community
Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors,
professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring
people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy
Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions
that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and
play.
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