Camp Sunshine's Pumpkin Festival in Maine This Saturday Seeks to Break World Record for Lit Jack-O-Lanterns

Participants in free event at Cumberland County Fairgrounds also can buy 'Glow Heart Pumpkins' to honor loved ones

Camp Sunshine’s Maine Pumpkin Festival will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most lit jack-o-lanterns on Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Cumberland Fairgrounds in Cumberland.

The free event will take place from noon to 8 p.m. on Oct. 4 and also feature live music, magic shows, a costume parade, 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 a Camp Sunshine event in downtown Boston in 2006. Carving also will take place on site. Truckloads of pumpkins are welcomed.

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 Oct. 4. Donors will receive 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 Maine’s Sebago Lakes region.

Admission is free, and parking at the fairgrounds is $5. The event is presented by Hancock Lumber, a sixth generation family owned business established in Maine in 1848.

“Our goal is to set a new world record right here in Maine,” said Matthew M. Hoidal, Executive Director of Camp Sunshine. “This is going to be an unforgettable event for the entire family and a great way to kick off fall. Plus, it’s for a great cause.”

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

Camp Sunshine, located in Casco, Maine, provides a camp vacation at no charge to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. 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 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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