Midland Students Build Canned Food Sculptures
Local businesses and residents can vote for a favorite design with a $1 donation to support Midland County food pantries before Thanksgiving.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Midland Public Schools students will build canned food sculptures during the Canstruction event, with food distributed through the Midland County Food Assistance Network. Sculptures will be on display through Saturday, Nov. 7, and a People's Choice winner will be announced Sunday, Nov. 8 for local businesses and residents to follow.
Why it matters
The event is designed to raise awareness of food insecurity in Midland County and to stock local food pantries ahead of Thanksgiving. For operators, it is a visible example of community partnerships where businesses and schools coordinate donation drives and public voting to support local nonprofit food distribution.
The event uses about 10,000 cans to build sculptures measuring 7 feet by 7 feet by 7 feet each, with seven schools participating (four high schools and three middle schools). Roughly 13.7% of Midland County residents, or 12,540 people, face food insecurity, and about 38% of those residents have incomes above typical SNAP eligibility thresholds.
The players
Midland County Food Assistance Network
A local food assistance organization that distributes donated food to Midland County residents and receives People's Choice voting proceeds.
Midland Public Schools
The public school district whose four high schools and three middle schools are building the canned food sculptures.
Northeast Middle School
A Midland middle school whose team is coached by Kosick and is participating in the Canstruction event.
The details
Students build sculptures from canned food using artistic and STEM principles during a Wednesday, Nov. 4 session from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors can vote for their favorite design with a $1 donation, and proceeds from People's Choice voting benefit the Midland County Food Assistance Network. The sculptures are then deconstructed after the winner is announced, and the donated food is distributed to local pantries.
Timeline
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Students build sculptures from canned food.
Nov. 4, 2:30 p.m.: Technical awards presented in the center court area.
Saturday, Nov. 7: Sculptures remain on display through this date.
Sunday, Nov. 8, 12:30 p.m.: People's Choice winner announced, followed by deconstruction.
Market Landscape
Canstruction-style food drives pair a public competition with donations, a model used by many community groups to turn visible events into pantry stock. Midland's version sits alongside local food assistance efforts that address food insecurity affecting about 13.7% of county residents.
Businesses that run community donation or sponsorship programs can use this model to coordinate employee volunteering and matching gifts for local pantries before Thanksgiving. Local operators should consider whether their own food or sponsorship support could align with the Midland County Food Assistance Network's distribution schedule.
The takeaway
Community food drives show how a visible public event can channel donations and volunteer hours into local pantries. Operators interested in similar partnerships can check with the Midland County Food Assistance Network about donation timing before the Nov. 8 deconstruction.
What happens next
The People's Choice winner will be announced at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, followed by deconstruction of the sculptures.
Further reading
For more context on how community groups fund and run food drives like this one, explore our Philanthropy coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Midland Daily News.
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Do you think Midland County does enough to address food insecurity?
