For nearly two decades, a Calgary architecture firm has been asking teams to build edible landmarks—and the public has responded by donating more than $400,000 to children’s hospitals. That tradition continues this November as GingerCane opens its 17th annual competition.
Past GingerCane entries, constructed at home from gingerbread, candy, and whatever other materials came to hand, show the range of creativity the contest has sparked over the years.
E2 + Associates presents the proceeds of GingerCane 2025 to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, January 2026.
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The GingerCane cheque is signed before presentation to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
GingerCane opens for its 17th year on November 1. The public picks the winners by donating, and every dollar goes to children’s hospitals.
Seventeen years in, what matters most is the people who keep showing up to build, donate and give where we live”— (Michael) Sean Young, CEO, E2 + AssociatesCALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — GingerCane, the annual gingerbread design competition run by Calgary architecture and land development firm E2 + Associates, opens for registration on November 1 for its seventeenth year.
While architects typically spend their year drawing buildings that no one can eat, this contest gives them one month to create something that actually can be consumed. Teams work with gingerbread, candy, cookies, crackers, icing, Rice Krispie squares, and whatever else they can imagine, while the public determines the winners through donations. Each dollar donated to a particular build counts as one vote for it, with every cent going to three children’s hospital foundations.
Since 2010, the competition has generated more than $400,000 for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. “We work with people who build communities, and GingerCane is a way to put that same creativity and generosity to work for the children and families in those communities. Seventeen years in, what matters most is the people who keep showing up to build, donate and give where we live,” said (Michael) Sean Young, CEO, E2 + Associates.
Entry is open to anyone. Registration opens November 1 at gingercane.com, and a team can be made up of a company, a family, a group of friends, a classroom, or a single individual with a steady hand. No baking experience is necessary. The competition features three categories — industry professionals, the general public, and kids.
The kids category operates as its own contest with its own prize, judged in the same manner as the others. Families often enter together, and the adults don’t always come out on top. Participation doesn’t require building anything at all. Starting November 23, the public votes by donating at gingercane.com, where every dollar given to a build counts as one vote for it. Voting remains open until December 16. The actual builds take place wherever teams can find a flat surface—kitchen tables, lunchrooms, and boardrooms across Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg—while voting happens entirely online. Past team names tend to reveal how seriously everyone takes the competition: Dough-glas Homes, the Uncle Phil-anthropists, Melcor Sweet Developments, and Candy Cane Creations.
“We are so grateful to the community for all the imaginative ways they come up with to raise money and awareness for the Alberta Children’s Hospital, including through the annual GingerCane gingerbread house building competition. Funds raised through this sweet initiative have supported the hospital’s highest priority needs, including purchasing vital equipment and supporting family-centred programs, helping ensure children and families have access to exceptional care when they need it most,” said the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“Donor support helps fund world class care, groundbreaking research, specialized training, and programs that support kids and families throughout their medical journey and beyond. Through Stollery No Bounds, GingerCane is supporting excellence today while helping build a new stand-alone Stollery Children’s Hospital for tomorrow,” said the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“GingerCane helps support important initiatives at HSC Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg, including programs like those offered through the Child Life Department. Through play, education, and emotional support, Child Life helps children and families navigate the challenges of hospitalization, easing stress and creating more positive, comforting experiences throughout their hospital journey,” said the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.
Voting concludes at a public reception at E2’s studio, 1043 19 Avenue SE in Ramsay, on the evening of December 16, where the winners and the year’s total are announced. The reception is open to anyone who wants to see the builds in person. Results are published December 17.
Seventeen years of builds, totals and the teams behind them are collected at gingercane.com/impact/
E2 + Associates was founded in Calgary in 1986 and marks its fortieth anniversary this year. The firm works in architecture, development consulting and land intelligence, and is currently active in more than 75 communities across Western Canada.
Registration and details: https://gingercane.com
Media contacts
Katrina Wilgenbusch, Executive Assistant, E2 + Associates
katrinaw@e2.associates, (403) 256-5123
Kelsey Glover, Manager, Community Initiatives and Events, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation
kglover@achf.com, (825) 255-8198
Heather Shtuka, Senior Advisor, Communications and External Relations, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation
heather.shtuka@stollerykids.com, 825-468-8904
Sara Shyiak, Director, Marketing and Communications, Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba
Sshyiak@goodbear.ca, 204-794-0094
Katrina Wilgenbusch
E2 + associates
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Why it matters: Beyond the whimsy of edible architecture, GingerCane has become a reliable fundraising engine for children’s hospitals across three provinces, channeling community creativity into tangible medical support. With more than $400,000 raised over 17 years and a voting model that turns every dollar into a ballot, the competition shows how local traditions can sustain long-term charitable impact.
