Published: April 22, 2008

University of Colorado at Boulder students will work in teams to construct the most elaborate, colorful and surprising sculptures out of food cans in Carlson Gymnasium during the inaugural Buffalo Can Challenge on Friday, April 25.

Fourteen teams and more than 160 students are expected to participate in the daylong event from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The structures can range in size from a few cans to hundreds of cans, and all construction plans are kept secret prior to the competition.

All teams provide their own canned food to raise awareness about hunger and all cans will be donated to Boulder Community Food Share following the event, said Joyce Kinde of the Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement, which is sponsoring the contest. CU-Boulder Panhellenic sororities already have donated 4,500 cans to the event.

The entire event is free and open to the public. Radio 1190 will provide music and a live disc jockey during the construction portion of the competition.

The schedule of the day's events follows:

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- The teams will construct their sculptures.

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Judging by a panel of five judges. Prizes will be awarded for Most Creative, Best Large Group, Best Small Group, Most Likely to Withstand Earthquake, Best Use of Color and to the largest donor of money to the event, not including donors of canned food.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Public viewing of the completed sculptures.

4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Teams will deconstruct their sculptures and take the cans to waiting Community Food Share trucks.

Teams entered in the challenge include Volunteer Clearing House's Rockin Staff, Norlin Scholars, Alpha Epsilon Delta, the Quad Squad, College Democrats, RHA (Residence Hall Adviser) Renegades of Funk, Rotaract Radness and Aerospace Engineering/Tau Beta Phi, among others. A nonstudent team from the nationwide Campus Compact group, Access Colorado, also will participate.

Co-sponsors of the Buffalo Can Challenge include Safeway, the Volunteer Clearing House and the Rotaract student group.

For information visit www.colorado.edu/vch/bucc or call 303-492-2288.