Carnival Cruise Line capped off a Holiday Food & Fund drive in New Orleans benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank by constructing the world’s largest cruise ship made of canned food which was displayed on Monday night at the New Orleans Saints game, said a statement from the cruise company.

Carnival is the “Official Cruise Line of the New Orleans Saints” and the 30-foot-long cruise ship built from more than 17,000 cans of food was the culmination of a Holiday Food & Fund drive involving New Orleans-area schools that was sponsored by Carnival and the NFL franchise.

Both Carnival and the New Orleans Saints provided incentives to students in New Orleans-area schools to participate in the food drive by awarding classroom prizes including free pizza parties, Saints lithograph footballs and free cruises to schools who collected the most cans of food.

The winning schools were announced during half-time at the game. The joint initiative will provide more than 75,000 meals for those in need in the greater New Orleans area this holiday season.

“Carnival has been a part of New Orleans for more than two decades and we greatly value the opportunity to give back to our homeport communities,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“This Holiday Food & Fund drive in partnership with the New Orleans Saints and Second Harvest was a fun and rewarding way to provide tens of thousands of meals to those in need this holiday season,” added Duffy.

“We are so proud to have worked with Carnival Cruise Line and Second Harvest on the successful build of the largest cruise ship made out of cans, but even more excited about the amount of food donations made through the build and the food drives at local schools that will help fight hunger throughout this holiday season,” said Jean-Paul Dardenne, New Orleans Saints’ senior vice president of corporate partnerships. 

“Carnival Cruise Line demonstrated their leadership and dedication throughout this project and we are proud to continue to work together to make a difference in the New Orleans community.” 

Added Natalie Jayroe, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, “We are so thankful for wonderful opportunity with Carnival, the New Orleans Saints and AIA to team up with us to lead the fight against hunger in Southern Louisiana by providing incentives for schools to participate in our Holiday Food & Fund Drive.  Our work together ensures that meals make it to the dinner tables of thousands of families struggling with hunger.”