Story & Photography by Woody Woodard

On July 17, RIFA announced that the featured entertainment for CANstruction 2016 would be Michael W. Smith. CANstruction Jackson will be built by 14 teams, the largest group to compete since it started 12 years ago. Two years ago it was moved from the Jackson Mall to the Carl Perkins Civic Center as interest had grown for the competition.

CANstruction is a signature fundraising charity event, where committed businesses build displays from canned food and are judged. This event is held in over 150 cities and approximately 21 million pounds of food have been donated since 1992. According to rifajackson.org, “All of the food used in the structures is donated to the RIFA Food Bank to distribute to other non-profits in the Jackson-Madison County area that serve individuals, food pantries and shelters.”

This year’s buildout will be held on September 27th and the Awards Gala will be September 29th, both at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.