For Immediate Release
October 16, 2008

Contact:
Matthew M. Hoidal, Esq., Executive Director, Camp Sunshine
(207) 655-3800
E-mail: mhoidal@campsunshine.org
Web Site: www.CampSunshine.org

Camp Sunshine, the Casco, Maine-based national retreat for children with life threatening illnesses and their families, is gearing up for another world record attempt for lit jack-o-lanterns at the Boston Pumpkin Festival on Saturday (Oct. 18).

The free event at the Boston City Hall Plaza will take place from noon to 8 p.m. and also feature live music, magic shows, a whoopie pie eating contest, face painting, food and lots of pumpkin carving. More than 40,000 people attended last year’s event in Boston.

All proceeds from the sixth annual event will benefit the non-profit Camp Sunshine.

At its Maine pumpkin festival in Cumberland on Oct. 4, Camp Sunshine raised more than $100,000 and also set a new record for Maine for the most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place with a whopping 22,481.

This weekend, Bay State residents will have their sights on the Guinness World Record of 30,128 lit jack-o-lanterns, set in Boston in 2006, but also will be trying to top Maine’s mark. In 2007, the Boston Pumpkin Festival recorded 21,853 carved pumpkins, so beating Maine also will be a goal this year.

“Now that Maine has set the bar for 2008, I think we’re going to see a competitive spirit emerge on Saturday in Boston,” said Matthew Hoidal, executive director of Camp Sunshine. “Of course, whether or not a record is broken is secondary in importance to the awareness and funds that will be raised to assist these children and their families.”

Camp Sunshine, located in the heart of Maine’s Sebago Lakes region, offers one of the only programs in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family. While attending the various week-long camps free of charge, families are able to rebuild relationships together and meet other families facing similar challenges.

The funds will be used to offer the invaluable program to even more families across Maine and throughout the country.

Attendees should bring carved pumpkins and votive candles to downtown Boston on Saturday. Carving also will take place on site, with hundreds of volunteers prepared to gut, carve, crate, arrange and light pumpkins throughout the day and into the evening. Truckloads of pumpkins are welcomed.

Participants, too, will have a unique opportunity to buy ‘Glow Heart Pumpkins’ for $10 to honor loved ones battling life-threatening illnesses or in their memory. Volunteers will carve a special “glow heart” in the pumpkins and display them in the giant pumpkin towers at the event.

To learn more about the event, call 207-655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

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