They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, in this case, imitation serves a greater purpose. The Canstruction team finished building a 10-foot tall and 20-foot wide replica of Dorton Arena in the Exposition Center Lobby. The project, sponsored by GEICO and Harris Teeter, used about 13,000 total food goods, including Jello boxes, canned goods and water bottles in construction. After the fair, the food will be donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
The International Association of Fairs and Expos challenged members to collect food for people in need in their communities as part of the Dream Big Initiative. Since the N.C. State Fair has hosted a food drive for the past 18 years that has raised more than 1.8 million pounds of food to local food banks, Canstruction was a way for the fair to participate in the Dream Big Initiative and bring additional awareness to the problem of hunger in our state.
Hunger Facts:
- 18.2 percent of North Carolinians are food insecure.
- North Carolina ranks in the top five states with the percentage of citizens experiencing food shortages.
- 170,200 people in North Carolina receive emergency food assistance in any given week.
- Asheville, Greensboro, High Point and Winst0n-Salem rank among the highest cities in the nation with food insecurity.
- 42 percent of families served by food banks have had to choose between buying food and heating their homes.
- 56 percent of North Carolina students receive free or reduced lunch.
