TOWER- Valerie Turnbull is a nurse by day, but somehow this mother of three has been finding time to organize community events for area families. Her latest success was a free community pumpkin carving activity, last Sunday. She recruited friends and family to help out and put out a request for donations on Facebook.
The Herb Lamppa Civic Center was full of families carving pumpkins, thanks to generous donations by community members and area businesses for all the supplies needed.
Pumpkin carving is a bit messy, and the logistics of keeping up with the messy gourd innards and slimy seeds had been well thought out in advance. Pumpkin carving tools and scoops were on hand, plus bowls to collect seeds for those who wished to bring them home for roasting. There were garbage cans at each table to collect all the messy stuff, and a contingent of adult volunteers wiping down tables, and children’s fingers, as needed.
If the thought of as many as 40 children at one time wielding small knives seemed scary, the pumpkin carving tools had blunt edges with rough serrations, and no injuries were recorded.
Turnbull brought 80 pumpkins to the event, and all but five were carved or decorated.
This included enough pumpkins for everyone who participated, which kept the children and their parents busy as they created traditional, fanciful, and some rather scary designs. There were stickers and push-in decorations for the children not old enough to do any carving, but most of the older children were ready to dig in and create a traditional hollowed-out pumpkin design. There were Halloween tattoos, hot dogs and baked beans, plus plenty of well-frosted Halloween cupcakes.
The event would not have been possible without donations from: Orlyn and Marit Kringstad; Deb and Doug Siverhus; Terry Vagle; Laura and Mike Lenix; Sierra Jankowski; Jodi and Jim Hunt; Scott Swanson; Mary Batinich; DeAnn Schatz; Karen Crego; Amy Banks; Zup’s Grocery- Tower; Brooke, Leon, and Chloe Anderson; Cade Gornick; Shannon Matich; Linda DiCasmirro; Brenda Winkelaar; Linda Haugen; Sulu’s Espresso Café; Amy Hinkel; Corky Hill; Darla LeDoux; Paul Radig; Marilyn Turnbull; Erik Lambertson; and some anonymous donors.
Special thanks to Sulu’s for donating and preparing the food served, and to Zup’s for donating gift cards for raffle prizes and cleanup supplies.