Ready with an architectural design and 3,800 cans of food, Britten, Inc.’s Raise Your Can! Canstruction team can’t wait to get building.

Britten, Inc. is one of eight teams participating in Canstruction TC on Jan. 28 at Grand Traverse Mall. Having a staff loaded with creative types, including an architect who has fine-tuned the design, has helped the team come up with its Traverse City-themed entry. Shopping for canned food, the group focused on both can colors and purchasing products that would help fill baskets – and stomachs – of those served by the Father Fred food pantry.

“When there was a choice between different kinds of vegetables or ravioli, we were thinking, ‘Why not spend a dime extra a can and we can get a whole meal, so we’ll have a lot more substance?’” said team leader Kaitlyn Burns. “Other than that, we just tried to keep it healthy.”

About 15 people are participating in building Britten’s Canstruction creation. Burns said the group is as excited about building the entry as they are about tearing it down afterward.

“It’s going to be so awesome to see at the end when we deconstruct it all,” she said. “We’re going to be putting it in a Father Fred (Meijer) semi to kick off their Frostbite Food Drive – and that’s’ going to be exciting.”

It’s just the kind of project Britten enjoys tackling, she added.

“We all love being involved in the community,” Burns said. “We know that by being a part of the Father Fred Canstruction event, we are proactively making a difference – fighting hunger within Grand Traverse County.”

Canstruction TC takes place at the Grand Traverse Mall on January 28, 2012. It is a build-up to the annual Father Fred Frostbite Food Drive, running February 3-12 and aiming to fill at least three semis with food for the Father Fred food pantry. Please give – donations of all sizes are needed. Anonymous donors have pledged a $100,000 value match for donations of food, personal care items and cash during the food drive.