RIFA gearing up for Canstruction

Regional Interfaith Association (RIFA) will host its signature event of the year next week when Canstruction takes over the Carl Perkins Civic Center.

Fifteen teams will compete to see which one can build the most ambitious structure from cans of food, all of which will be donated to RIFA’s food pantry afterward.

They hosted a party at Baker Bros. Barbecue in Downtown Jackson on Sept. 12 to thank the sponsors and teams before everyone got to work less than two weeks later.

“Jackson-Madison County Schools and Christian Brothers Automotive sponsored the kickoff event, and it was just a great time to party during bad weather in Jackson,” said Denise Walton, the development director for RIFA. “We had a break in the rain right about 5 p.m. that day when it was time for the event to start and we went from just a few people to a full house really quickly.”

Local band Blue Eyed Sun provided entertainment for the party.

The Canstruction event is next Thursday where winners will be announced, but the actual Canstruction will happen on Tuesday, Sept. 24, and the structures will be on display in the lobby of the Civic Center all day on Wednesday.

The competing teams are representing Delta Faucet, Family Christian School and New Life Church, Fellowship Bible Church, First Methodist Downtown, First Presbyterian Church, Hitachi Energy, Georgia-Pacific, Gerdau, JMCSS, Jackson State, LyondellBasell, Regions Bank, TBDN Tennessee, Tennalum and Toyota Tennessee.

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news