Camp Sunshine's Maine Pumpkin Festival Can't Be Topped for 2008

Boston Pumpkin Festival raises money and awareness for Camp Sunshine, but falls short of Maine fest mark for lit jack-o-lanterns

Camp Sunshine’s Boston Pumpkin Festival succeeded in raising money and awareness for the Casco, Maine based non-profit last Saturday, but fell short of the 2008 mark for lit jack-o-lanterns set at Camp Sunshine’s Maine Pumpkin Festival.

On Oct. 4 in Cumberland, Camp Sunshine set a high bar with a whopping 22,481 lit jack-o-lanterns in one place, setting a record in Maine and putting pressure on Massachusetts for New England bragging rights.

Bay State residents responded this past weekend by amassing approximately 15,000 carved pumpkins at Boston City Hall Plaza, with an estimated 50,000 people on hand to celebrate the festive event.

Camp Sunshine is the organizing force behind the Maine and Boston festivals. All proceeds from the events will benefit the national retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. More than $100,000 was raised at the Maine event, while a final tally for Boston Pumpkin Festival is still being calculated.

“Maine’s achievement this year is all the more impressive when you consider that Boston has been doing this for quite a while,” said Matthew Hoidal, executive director of Camp Sunshine. “At the end of the day, of course, the number of pumpkins is secondary in importance to the awareness and funds that get raised to assist these courageous children and their families.”

Boston still holds the Guinness World Record of 30,128 lit jack-o-lanterns, which was set in 2006. Camp Sunshine will host its final pumpkin festival in New York City’s Central Park this Saturday, Oct. 25. That event is not a record attempt, and will feature 5,000 carved and lit pumpkins on display.

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. For more information about Camp Sunshine, call 207-655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

# # #