Meet Harold the Hippo: Designing to Fight Hunger

GLENDALE, Arizona – DBSI was proud to participate in the 19th Annual CANstruction event benefiting St. Mary's Food Bank.

At DBSI, we believe great design can make an impact, and sometimes, it can even help fight hunger.

This year, our team put our creativity and construction skills to work for a different kind of project: Harold the Hippo, DBSI’s entry in the 19th Annual CANstruction event benefiting St. Mary’s Food Bank.

CANstruction brings together teams from across the architecture, design, engineering, and construction industries to turn canned food into larger-than-life creations. At the end of the competition, the cans are donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank to help fight hunger across Arizona.

Creativity For a Cause

For our team, CANstruction was an opportunity to do what we do best: think differently, collaborate, solve challenges, and bring an idea to life.

"CANstruction gave our team the chance to have some fun with what we do best while supporting an incredible cause. Seeing Harold come to life was a true team effort, and knowing every can will ultimately help someone in our community makes it even more meaningful.” - Amanda Farmer, Head of Equipment & Service, DBSI

Harold Takes Home an Award

All 10 CANstruction creations were on display at Arrowhead Mall through August 22. After careful review by a panel of judges, we’re proud to announce that Harold won Best Meal/Ingredients!

Our display was built using a variety of nutritious, shelf-stable foods, including:

• Tuna
• Canned vegetables, including carrots, peas, green beans, corn, and tomatoes
• Canned beans, including kidney, black, and chili bean

Built With a Little Help From Our Friends 

A big idea takes a great team. Thank you to our generous sponsors who helped bring Harold to life: Design Drywall West, OneAZ Credit Union, Transact Commercial Interiors, Robert Brown Architects, Acosta Electric, Milliken Commercial, MDC Interior Solutions, Diversified Wallcovering, TetraLink, and Canyon Floors.

We’re proud of our team, grateful for our partners, and excited to put our creativity to work for a cause that matters.