Pyramid of pumpkins helps carve spot
in record books

What does the number 30,128 have to do with Halloween? Is it the average candy sales per state? Could it be the number of cavities attributed to candy?

Circle K’ers and other volunteers make their first cuts during Pumpkin Fest 2006.

At the end of the day, 30,128 jack-o-lanterns were carved to raise money for Camp Sunshine.

No and no.

Actually, 30,128 is the amount of jack-o-lanterns lit in one area this past October at a record-breaking event in the New England District.

Pumpkin Fest, an annual event staged by Life is Good, takes place on the Boston Commons. The volunteers—including about 50 New England Circle K’ers—used Pumpkin Fest to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a summer camp in Maine that provides activities for terminally ill children and their families. “I knew our district does whatit can to raise money for Camp Sunshine each year,” says New England Circle K District editor Katherine Mishou, “but it was truly amazing to see so many more people and organizations unite for such a great cause!” The volunteers raised $554,211 for the camp.

Circle K’ers took part in several activities including pumpkin carving, lighting the 30,128 pumpkins, and managing the donation boxes.

“It was easy to see that people were having an unbelievable time,” Katherine says. “You would be hard pressed to find someone without a smile on his or her face. People were excited to do everything the event allowed, including the messy stuff like gutting pumpkins!Children were all smiles as they ventured through the pumpkin maze or tried a delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.”–Ashley Clark