Mountview Pumpkin Patch Fest To Benefit Be Like Brit Foundation

by Daniel Castro Events 10/24/12 Comments (1)

Glowing Jack O' lanterns light the way at the first pumpkin patch festival at Mountview Middle School in 2010. Photo Credit: Daniel Castro

HOLDEN, Mass. — A thousand glowing jack-o-lanterns will light the way through a "spook-tacular" winding pumpkin patch at Mountview Middle School on Saturday, a Halloween event that will help benefit the Be Like Brit Foundation.

In its first year, Mountview students helped carve 100 pumpkins for the patch, working together to create a festival that would support the foundation's orphanage project in Haiti.

Rutland's Britney Gengel, three of her fellow students and two Lynn University professors were on a Journey of Hope to help an orphanage in Haiti when a catastrophic earthquake struck, taking their lives along with an estimated 230,000 others, and devastating the small, poverty stricken country.

Out of that devastation, the Wachusett community has rallied together to support seeing Gengel's last wish of building an orphanage in Haiti come to fruition, and residents are invited to lend their support to the project through the pumpkin walk.

Between students and the community, Mountview teacher Robert Champlin hopes to increase the number of pumpkins to 1,000, and with the help of sponsors Clearview Farms, Hubbardston Alpaca Farm, Jed's Hardware, Halloween Outlet, Events Central and the Holden Fire Department, this year's event is set up to be their biggest pumpkin patch yet.

In addition to the walk, hayrides, face painting, games, raffles and costumes will make the Halloween celebration fun for the whole family.

Pumpkin drop-off will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 27 behind Mountview School at 270 Shrewsbury St. A cost of $2 will include a ticket to the walk and a candle to light the pumpkin.

Additionally, there will be a $5 entry fee for the Jack O'lantern contest, with prized to be awarded for the best carvings. This also includes a ticket to the walk and a candle.

The pumpkin patch festival will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, with a rain date of Oct. 28.

This year, the pumpkin patch also will be the pick-up and drop-off site for the 11th Indian Hill Spooky Walk, a scary trip through the woods complete with eight frightful scenes.

For tickets and to schedule a time slot for the Be Like Brit Spooky Walk from 6 to 11 p.m., call 508-853-4444. Sign-up is first-come, first-served. The cost is $10 per person, with all proceeds also going to the Be Like Brit foundation.