Over $16,100 is being donated to the Windsor Regional Cancer Program from Carve 4 Cancer.
The annual fundraiser encourages local businesses to sponsor the purchase of a locally sourced, gigantic (up to 80 lbs) pumpkin and design beautiful, dynamic pumpkin masterpieces.
During the last week of October, the pumpkins are displayed, and patients and staff of the cancer centre judge the carvings; they also vote for their favourite using a paper ballot system, while the public casts votes online via Facebook.
Carve 4 Cancer was created in 2018 by Lindsey Bareich, who says it means so much to her to see what this fundraiser has become.
"I started this when I was 12, and I actually can't believe how far we've come. At 12 years old, going into boardrooms was super scary, doing a one-minute elevator pitch, and making these brochures. It was a crazy experience then, and I can't believe how far we've come," she says.
This year's donation means $93,408 has been raised during the eight years of the event.
A Cinderella-themed pumpkin carriage submitted by the staff at Shock Pros Motorsports at 1280 County Road 46 in South Woodslee. It won both the Online Voting Award and the In-Person Voting Award in their first year participating.
Owner of Shock Pros Motorsports in South Woodslee, Garett Hendy, says it took them a week, for an hour to two hours a day, to put their winning pumpkin carving together.
"The tricky part was it took us a week to gather all the bits and pieces for it. We didn't want to spend a lot of money on it either. We went to the thrift stores and the Dollar Store; people brought stuff that they had from home. The Barbie that's in there is one of the girls that works for us daughters," he says.
A Beetlejuice-themed pumpkin submitted by Centerline was the winner in the Judges Choice category.
Orange Ballers (2009 Caboto Girls Soccer Team) won for the Highest Fundraiser.