Camp Sunshine's Boston Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 18 Seeks to Break World Record for Lit Jack-o-Lanterns

Participants in free event at Boston City Hall Plaza also can buy 'Glow Heart Pumpkins' to honor loved ones

BOSTON – Camp Sunshine’s Boston Pumpkin Festival will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most lit jack-o-lanterns on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Boston City Hall Plaza.

All proceeds from the sixth annual event will again benefit Camp Sunshine, a national retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Event sponsors include Market Basket supermarkets, Village Candle, and many others.

The free event will take place from noon to 8 p.m. on Oct. 18 and also feature live music, magic shows, a whoopie pie eating contest, face painting, food and lots of pumpkin carving.

Attendees should bring carved pumpkins and votive candles to help break the Guinness World Record of 30,128 lit jack-o-lanterns set at Camp Sunshine’s Boston Pumpkin Festival in 2006. Carving also will take place on site. Truckloads of pumpkins are welcomed.

Camp Sunshine’s Boston Pumpkin Festival will be looking to rebound this year after falling short of its record with 21,853 lit jack-o-lanterns in 2007. In Maine over the weekend (Oct. 4), Camp Sunshine’s Maine Pumpkin Festival recorded 22,481 lit, carved pumpkins.

Event organizers only plan to bring 10,000 pumpkins to Boston this year, which means residents throughout the city and across Massachusetts need to come through to beat Maine’s mark and perhaps challenge the existing world record.

“Maine fell short of the world record, but still exceeded Boston’s total of last year, so Massachusetts has some work to do to show Maine how it’s done,” said Matthew M. Hoidal, Executive Director of Camp Sunshine. “Beyond the friendly competition, though, the Boston Pumpkin Festival is an unforgettable event for the entire family and a great way to kick off fall. Plus, it’s for a great cause.”

Participants, too, will have a unique opportunity to buy ‘Glow Heart Pumpkins’ 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.

The glow heart pumpkins, which cost $10, add an emotional touch to the stunning visual landscape of lit jack-o-lanterns which will be on display at One City Hall Plaza in Boston. Donors will be emailed a photo of the pumpkin tower and the glow hearts.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Camp Sunshine, a national retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families located in the heart of the Sebago Lakes region in Casco, Maine.

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

Since 1984, Camp Sunshine has provided camp vacations at no charge to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. In 2007, 139 families from Massachusetts enjoyed a much-needed respite at the tranquil Maine location.

The camp 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, families are able to rebuild relationships together and meet other families facing similar challenges. The program, staffed almost entirely by volunteers, also includes 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support. Bereavement groups also are offered for families who have lost a child to an illness.

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