Pumpkin Fest on the Island a huge success

To the Editor:

Well, the first annual Pumpkin Fest on the Island has come and gone. It was a huge success!

We have so many people to thank; where to start? To our sponsors Key Bank, Town of Rumford, Franklin Savings Bank, as well as Kaynor & Kreckel, Hotel Rumford, Ink Plaza, the Rumford Falls Times, and the Sun Journal and Lennox Capital Management and Jim Rinaldo, River Valley Growth Council.

All the business that participated by being open or opening early, running a special, decorating their store fronts, or giving out cookies and coffee. Many thanks to all the volunteers who worked so hard to put this event together in a very short time.

A very special thank you to Gary Petrie and Jamie Virgin for MCing the event, as well as, providing us with great music all day. Also, a big thanks goes out to Jay from WOXO radio for a super job as always.

Thank you to the GRCC for the free face painting and gymnastics obstacle course and to the American Legion for a super pumpkin breakfast.

Congratulations to the winners of the Pumpkin Dessert contest: first place, Debbie Laurinaitis, second place, Mum’s Bakery, third place, Mia Purcell, and honorable mention, Amanda Buotte. The Pumpkin Carving winner was Paige Landry. What a turnout we had for the Pumpkin Decorating contest with over 30 pumpkins entered. The winners in the age group of 3-5 year olds were: first place, Brooke Griffin, second place, Addison Lufkin, third place, Carleigh Smith, and honorable mention, Shealee Campbell. For the 6-12 year old age group: first place, Levi Bernard, second place, Connor Mason, third place, Dillon McPherson, and honorable mention, Lily True. The winner of the 50/50 raffle was Brenda Chartier, with a tie for first place in the scavenger hunt was Jordan and Victoria Barre. The seed spitting contest winners were Simon Elks and Nicole Larsen.

Ink plaza took over 150 pictures of children young and old as the great pumpkin. What a great souvenir of the first annual Pumpkin Fest on the Island. Thank you to Cherry and Randall for your generosity and Jim and Carrie Rinaldo for making the Great Pumpkin.

The cookie walk was a big success. Thank you to all that baked cookies and squares, and to Jolene Lovejoy for manning the cookie table for the day.

Also, thanks to Sheila Delameter for handling the pumpkin dessert table, Carrier Rinaldo and Carlo Puiia for keeping the pumpkins in order, as well as, Kevin Kaulback and Leah McKay for organizing and sponsoring the seed spitting contest. A thank you also goes out to Nick Waugh for great pictures of the day’s events, Mia Purcell for filling in where needed, Caroline Philbrick for selling 50/50 tickets, SSG Charles Bowlin from the National Guard as well as, a big thanks to the Rumford fire, police and Med Care.

Everyone loved the apple cider tasting and demo thanks to our cider master, George Kimball, and his helpers Dick Lovejoy, Glenn Holmes and Jessica Lyons. What a great time everyone had on the wagon rides thanks to Ernest Garcia. Lastly, a huge thank you to Ichabod Crane (Carlo Puiia) and the Headless Horsemen for a great show.

Again, we want to thank everyone involved in making the First Annual Pumpkin Fest on the Island a big success. Hopefully we haven’t missed anyone. If so, please know that your help was greatly appreciated. We are anticipating making The Pumpkin Fest on the Island an annual event, and look forward to providing more fun and activities.

Rumford Pumpkin Fest Committee