Visitors to this year’s Missouri State Fair can help alleviate Missouri hunger by participating in the Fair’s fourth annual food drive. Fair Director Mark Wolfe announced the food drive would again include a” Canstruction” display, which will depict the 4-H emblem and consist of nearly 5,000 cans of food.
“Last year the Missouri State Fair collected 32,800 pounds of food,” Wolfe said. “Hunger is a serious problem in Missouri and we hope to bring this issue to light, while helping to diminish hunger in our communities.”
Canned food will be collected every day of the Fair, Aug. 7-17, with a special discount gate admission promotion offered in exchange for food on Aug. 12. The promotion, Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive Tuesday, is sponsored in cooperation with Midwest and St. Louis Ford Dealers and Missouri Farmers Care, and will benefit the Missouri Food Bank Association (MFBA).
According to a news release, fairgoers will be able to exchange a canned food item for a $1 off gate admission coupon at Centennial Gate on Aug. 12. The discount may not be combined with other offers and is restricted to a $4 maximum savings per adult ticket (regularly $8), $3 maximum savings per senior ticket (regularly $6) and $1 maximum savings per child ticket (regularly $2).
“Missouri farmers truly care about providing for families in need,” said Missouri Farmers Care Chairman Don Nikodim. “We are proud to partner with the Missouri State Fair again this year in the effort to provide high-quality food to those who need it most.”
To further raise awareness about hunger, Nikodim said a Canstruction project will be on display at the Missouri Farmers Care booth, located in the Agriculture Building Aug. 7-17. This year the project will be a massive 4-H emblem that will be nearly 14 feet tall and over 15 feet wide, and include nearly 5,000 green, yellow, black and white cans donated by Bing’s Grocery Stores of Sedalia. The display is a tribute to the efforts of Missouri 4-H youth who have contributed more than 10,500 hours of service this year, fighting hunger within their communities.
Fairgoers will also have the opportunity to purchase a can of food at the Missouri Farmers Care booth and place the can in an unfinished element of the emblem. The MFBA will receive these monetary donations, and can provide seven meals with every $1 donated.
“One in eight Missourians rely on emergency food assistance each year,” said MFBA State Director Scott Baker. “The Missouri State Fair is a great place to raise awareness of this issue, and the food drive will help many Missourians again this year.”
Canstruction is a trademarked professional design/build competition and community service project sponsored by the Society for Design Administration. Mid-Missouri’s architects, engineers and students create giant structures built with canned food. The events showcase the ingenuity of the design community, while benefiting food banks in Missouri. The Fair’s exhibit is being designed and directed by PWArchitects Inc. and project engineer Patrick Earney of Trabue, Hansen & Hinshaw Inc., both of Columbia. A rendering of the exhibit can be seen at the Fair’s website.
The 112th Missouri State Fair, themed “Harvest the Fun!,” will be held Aug. 7-17 in Sedalia. For more information about the food drive and gate promotion Aug. 12, visit mostatefair.com, follow the Fair on Facebook and Twitter, or call 1-800-422-FAIR (3247).