CANtastic event to be held again this spring

The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry, Ripco Credit Union, Kiwanis Club of Rhinelander and Trig's are excited to sponsor the CANtastic event again this year. This year's theme, "Shine a Light on Hunger," was suggested by one of last year's build teams.

CANtastic combines the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a unique way to help feed the hungry in our community. Competing area teams showcase their talents by designing and constructing sculptures made with donated or purchased canned goods. These creations are judged on criteria including creativity, complexity and use of color. At the close of the competition, prizes are awarded for Judges' Choice, People's Choice and Most Cans Used Following the Theme. All of the food used in the structures is donated to Rhinelander Area Food Pantry (RAFP) for distribution.

This year's Build Day will be Saturday, April 14, at Trig's RiverWalk Center. The CANtastic creations will be on display for two weeks to allow the public to view and judge them.

Although some teams are already starting to plan their creations, the CANtastic Steering Committee is actively seeking more build teams to participate in this fun community event. Competition is open to any group/organization (clubs, schools, Scouts, churches, businesses, etc.) in the Rhinelander area. The competition will not be held unless there are at least five teams. This year, Ripco Credit Union and the Kiwanis Club have offered $100 each to all teams to help defray the cost of obtaining the cans of food needed for building these structures.

Individuals or groups who are interested or would like more information should contact Guy Hansen at (715)-282-5810 or go to rhinelanderareafoodpantry.org.

Team registration forms are available at the food pantry, 436 North Brown St., or on the website.