It may have been cold outside, but inside St James Academy the annual Canstruction competition was heating up.

For weeks prior, students brought in canned food, cereal and boxes of Mac & Cheese in preparation for the event. Then, each school community banded together to erect a structure from their food contributions.

With every “canned castle turret” and “sky high bean tower,” the students kept their eye on the prize–the beloved Thunder Cup.

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and the people we serve were the ultimate Canstruction winners. After the school’s competition, St. James Academy donated 19,417 pounds of food to help stock the shelves in our food pantries and supplement the inventory on the mobile resource bus which serves our rural population.

Thank you, St. James Academy community, for your dedication and generosity!