It was the third year Presbyterian Support Otago had run the Octacan event.
This year, the can trail was laid in the shape of a koru.
Presbyterian Support Otago's director of communication and fundraising, Lisa Wells, said the cans collected would not stay on the foodbank's shelves for long.
"We use that many cans in a month."
About 6000 items of food were given out each month, increasing to 9000 during winter.
Mrs Wells had noticed an increase in the number of people coming to the foodbank over the past few years.
For those on a tight budget, or in winter when families had to deal with large power bills, food was a cost that could be "discretionary", she said.
The foodbank's resources had also been stretched because of the Christchurch earthquake, with food given to relocated Christchurch residents and Dunedin locals who were hosting families from Canterbury.
Local school and university students had been a great help to the appeal, Mrs Wells said.
More than 200 cans were collected by university students before the event, and 10 schools brought in donations throughout the day.
- Tegan McKnight
