Our History

Canstruction Founder

Cheri
In Memory of Cheri Melillo
(February 4, 1949 - December 26, 2009)
 
With distinction from Northwestern University, Cheri C. Melillo, Hon. AIA, received BS in  Theater in 1971. Her career encompassed acting and 24 years as administrator Butler Rogers  Baskett Architects (BRB). While employed at BRB, during her membership in the Society for  Design Administration (SDA), Cheri created and was editor-in-chief of the SDA award winning  news journal, SkyLines. She also instituted the SDA’s Lunch-Time Tours and Administrative Round-Table Program. During her tenure as the SDA’s National Public Relations Chair, she developed the internationally renowned food charity “CANstruction.” 
 
She served as Volunteer President and Executive Director of Canstruction for 17 years. It was her passion and a true labor of love. She mentored teams of architects, engineers, and students who competed to design and build self-supporting sculptures made with cans of food. The results are displayed to the public as giant pop art sculptures in each city where a competition is held. The public is invited to donate canned food to view the exhibitions. When the structures are dismantled, all of the canned food is donated to local food banks. At the time of her passing, more than 140 cities from the U.S. to Australia were participating by holding competitions.
 
 
Cheri’s vision of introducing students to the design/build professions by bringing Canstruction into school systems is now becoming a reality. Students incorporate art and design, math, geometry, engineering, 3-D rendering, construction, and project management. Canstruction will have the ability to stimulate the next generation of construction professionals, while teaching them the importance of performing community service.
 
In 2000, Cheri was made an Honorary Member of the AIA for her work in developing, marketing,  and promoting Canstruction. In 2009, on behalf of Canstruction, she accepted the Creativity of the  Mind Award from “The Odyssey of the Mind,” and a Public Service award from the Building  Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). She was an honoree at the 2009 City Harvest Practical  Magic Ball in NYC, and in the past has been honored by The Food Bank for NYC and The Society  for Marketing Professional Services. In 2009, she was nominated for the New York Post  Liberty Award in the Lifetime Achievement category.