The 11th Annual D.A. Davidson/Scheels/Wal-Mart CANtastic Event will be held at the Holiday Village Shopping Mall, across from Maurice’s, March 10-13.

CANtastic is an event during which civic teams, aided by local architects, build structures out of food (mostly cans). The structures are judged and displayed during the event. Food and proceeds will benefit the Great Falls Community Food Bank.

This event has grown over the years and organizers expect to raise more than 6,500 pounds of food this year and more than $20,000 for the Backpacks4Kids program.

Teams for this year include: Great Falls High School Key Club, C.M. Russell High School Key Club, Great Falls Central Key Club, Loenbro, Pepsi of Great Falls, Downtown Chicks, Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) and Giant Springs Chapter of Credit Unions.

Judging takes place March 10. The public is invited to purchase a vote for their favorite at $1 per vote. The team that receives the most votes wins the People’s Choice Award. Four other awards will also be given.

This year’s event also includes an art contest for sixth-graders from local schools. First place receives a $150 Scheels gift card; second place receives a $100 gift card; third and fourth place receive a $50 gift card. Artwork will be displayed on location. There will also be a raffle for a Peak Health and Wellness membership.

CANtastic supports the Backpacks4Kids Program, which provides packs of ready-to-eat, kid-friendly, shelf-stable meals that chronically hungry Great Falls children take home on week-ends and holidays. It costs the Great Falls Community Food Bank about $150 to distribute these packs for a school year to one child.

Community members are invited to sponsor children for $150 per child. Each entity sponsoring a child will receive a poster by a local sixth-grader and a mention at the art gallery at the event.