Head to Kahala Mall to check out our submission for this year’s CANstruction theme, “Brighter Days Ahead.”

The past year and a half has been extremely difficult for everyone. So it’s only fitting that for this year’s theme we would focus on some of the good things that have come out of a confusing situation. In March 2020, we were all asked to stay at home for the foreseeable future. Leaving many of us with more free time than we would have liked. Spending all of this time at home highlighted all the small things we used to take for granted. Suddenly a trip to the market became the best part of our day. A 15-minute walk outside became a necessity. And we all got an abundance of time to relax. During this time many people learned new hobbies, spent as much time as they could outdoors, and some, adopted a new friend. Since we were all spending so much time at home, many people decided to open up their homes to foster or adopt pets. For the first time ever, many shelters were empty because they had more interested families that wanted to foster or adopt than they had animals. A total of 1,991 pets were fostered by the Hawaii Humane Society last year. This is a 54% increase from the previous year.

Our pandemic puppy, Archie represents the animals who brought companionship, comfort, and care to those who were isolated during the pandemic. Belly rubs, back scratches, and afternoon walks became part of the usual routine and these animals became more than just pets, they became family.

We want to thank our team captains Matt and Lisa for leading this year’s effort, Rayna and Eric for creating the design, and everyone that came out to help CANstruct Archie Saturday morning.

Our structure is just 1 of the 8 submissions. Voting for the People’s Choice Award runs from October 17 to October 23. Each vote is a donation to the Hawaii Food Bank ($1 = 1 vote). If our sculpture is your favorite place vote by clicking the link below. Mahalo!