The Chestermere Lions Club 15th Annual Pumpkin Patch got the community in the Halloween spirit, as families hunted for the perfect pumpkin Saturday morning.
On Oct. 15, more than 200 residents raced to the Chestermere rec centre field to find a sea of pumpkins.
“It’s been a nice family day, it was a super good turnout, everyone had a good time, and we’re very happy with it,” Event Coordinator Dawn Seguin said.
At the pumpkin patch, families could enjoy popcorn by RE/MAX Key, hotdogs, coffee, and hot chocolate, visit the Community Therapy Dogs Society, listen to a Halloween-themed story from the Chestermere Public Library, and have a balloon animal made.
Throughout the years, Seguin has seen the pumpkin patch become a fall tradition for many families each year.
“It’s a family thing, what we’ve found is people will bring their children for years,” Seguin said. “Children grow up with the pumpkin patch.”
This year, the Lions Club started with 250 pumpkins from Eric’s No Frills, and by the early afternoon only had 70 pumpkins left that were donated to the Chestermere Food Bank.
“It’s a good community event. It gets families together, their neighbours, it’s a good feeling, and everybody is happy,” Seguin said. “The satisfaction is seeing the kids and the parents happy. It’s something for them to take their kids too.”
Chestermere Lions Club member Jamie Rozema-Stinson explained that the funds raised from the pumpkin patch are donated to various community organizations, including the Chestermere Food Bank, Community Therapy Dogs Society, Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, Gifts of Kindness, Adopt a Family, and the Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centre.
