Giant Sandcastle Sushi Boat Raises $3,000 for Bay Area Arts Programs

 |  Community Involvement
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The sandcastle sushi boat designed and constructed by Team Spork and the fourth graders from Gordon J. Lau Elementary School.

How does a giant sushi boat made of sand turn into $3,000 for arts education? By being an entry in a creative sandcastle contest, of course. The boat pictured above was designed and constructed by “Team Spork” – made up of Sundt, Buehler & Buehler Structural Engineers and Dougherty + Dougherty Architects – in San Francisco last weekend as part of Leap‘s 31st Annual Sandcastle Contest. The event brings together contractors, architects, engineers and corporations in a friendly competition to raise money for quality arts education programs in elementary and middle schools throughout the Bay Area.

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Sundt Business Development Representative Robin Hunt briefed the kids on proper safety practices before turning them loose with shovels.

Team Spork partnered with Gordon J. Lau Elementary School, whose fourth graders turned out to be eager design and construction partners on the sandcastle sushi boat. Through several generous sponsorships, the team raised $3,000.

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The clay model of the sandcastle that was designed prior to the competition.

“Our team had a great time and the students of Gordon J. Lau Elementary and their teachers were so fun to work with,” says Robin Hunt, Sundt business development representative. “This was a great opportunity for the students to learn how to work as a team and how to move a lot of sand!”

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Did someone ask for water? Sundt Project Engineer Mike Miller toted buckets of water from the surf to the sandcastle plot.

Leap is a nonprofit organization established in 1979 in response to severe budget cuts in arts programs in California schools. Its programs place professional teaching artists in classrooms to work with grades K-8. Each year the programs serve over 7,000 students in more than 40 elementary and middle schools throughout the Bay Area. The theme of its annual sandcastle contest this year was “Food, Glorious Food.”