{ title: 'The Times of Northport & East Northport. (Setauket, N.Y.) 2005-current, October 20, 2005, Page 7, Image 7', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-10-20/ed-1/seq-7/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-10-20/ed-1/seq-7.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-10-20/ed-1/seq-7/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2008245210/2005-10-20/ed-1/seq-7/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Suffolk Cooperative Library System
The power of pumpkins Fruits of labor aid neighborhood churches and Navajo in New Mexico BY ELISE PEARLMAN ANO PATFICIA PROVEN in keeping with the season,. the front lawns of two local Methodist churches have turned orange, from piles upon piles of pumpkins shipped straight from New Mexico Early this month, as part of a unique cooperative venture, almost 3,000 pump- kins, gourds and omamental coms were shipped to the Union United Methodist Church on Pulaski Road, East Northport and 2,700 of them were shipped to the United Methodist Church on Route 25A, Kings Park. *When they opened the back of the wuck, I thought I was going to pass out,\ Kings Park resident and church volunteer Kathy Doss said. \I thought, 'How are we going to get all these out\\ As it turned out, local high school students and Boy Scout troops were mare than willing to help pass the goods to the ground in assembly line fashion. The delivemnes are coordinated by Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers, a North Carolina-based organization that for the past 25 years has acted as a go-between. enabling churches and other non-profit orga- nizations to earn money selling pump- kins Pam Wilson, an East Northport church mem- ber chaining the event at Union United Methodist Church this year. said that Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers plants pumpkins, gourds and corn on 1,200 acres it leases from a Navajo Indian reservation near Farmington, New Mexico. employing around 1,000 residents of the reservation at har- vest time. The harvest is shipped to about 1.000 locations across the country at no- cost, according to Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers, whose website indicates that \partner non- profit organizations\ keep a percentage of the sales ranging from 25 to 40 percent depending on how many pumpkins are sold. The rest of the proceeds is invested back into the venture and improvements on the reservation, the Kings Park church's pastor, Reverend John Horesco, said. Wilson sard that the \no-risk\ enter- prise netted her church $3,000 last year, with the supply selling out before Halloween. Church members use any pumpkins that won't sell - such as those that have lost their stems, were damaged Photo by Patricia Proven A wheel barre! of swan gourds completes the harvest bounty shipped in from New Mexico in delivery or developed soft spots to make pumpkin soup. pies. bread and jam. \''These sell very well. \ Wilson said. \because people like the fact that they are made fresh and have no preservatives.\ The bulk of the pumpkin breads sold froen the Kings Park church are baked by Northport-East Northport Tibrary: clerk Jean Horesco, who :s the pastor's wife. '\She has made over 80 loaves of punipkan bread.\ Reverend Horesco sud, adding that other members have contributed \I'm amazed that no one gets tired of this.\ The East Northport church became involved in the project after hearing how successful it was for another organization \Lt spreads by word of mouth from church to church.\ Wilson said She sard that her church uses the profit to fund the opera ton of the church and programs for semer cizens, Boy Scouts. Gin Scouts as well as Alcohofics Anonymous. Al Anon tan orgamzation that provides services far family and trends of problem drinkers) and Gambler's Anonymous The Kings Park church, which jpuned the venture three autumns ago. uses proceeds to hal ster its muswions arounad the world, which most recently include hum vane disaster relict. Horesco sad Running a purmiphin patch ~ not) without challenges People do steal the pumpkins from time too fime. Horeswo sand bast year. Wilson noted that vel unteerns had to fight oft squirrels with a taste for & the orange hued tnait twhose name stems from the Greek word \pepon.\ meaning large melon: This year. the rain presented difficulties While the recent tor rent did not damage the remained open with no sales for two days \The rain affected us big time.\ Wilson said Sales were finally picking up last Saturday, the first dry day after more than a week of rain. Lon Murphy, a Northport resident volunteering at the East Northport pumpkin patch, noted that she had sold quite a few average-sized pump- kins in the $7 to $8 range and even a num- ber of $16 pumpkins By Monday, the Kings Park supply - $3 to $20 or more. for pumpkins from eight inches to 20 inches in diameter - was quickly damin- ishing. although volunteers expect another shipment in next week. Doss said. \The bigger ones went like hot cakes.\ # Photo by Patnora Prover Kathy Doss of Kings Park volunteers at the pumpkin patch fundraiser or the lawn of the United Methodist Church on Route 25A in Kings Park The sales at both lx ations run through Halloween Pumpkin Pate h Pumdrasers ashs only that partropating oryanmizations rexrunt their own vodunteers to manage the sale. unload the truck. operate the pump kin patch tor a of 14 days and dispose ot arsy orphan pumplhian Horew o said that any lettoner goods are donated as hvestock feed to plaes like Hovt bann. left near duripsters tor wildhite to peck at or taken homme to gardens with the hope that the seeds usd germinate the follow ing Spring Over the bast 10 years. over SIS nullion worth of pemphins have been sold Iw means of this cooperative venture In 2044. Pumpkin Patch hundraimers shipped § S millon arms the country. netting participating orgamzations $3 mil lon While the average punmphin patch indicates that some churches have sold over $110,000 worth of pumpkins 'Over ume. the event has become much more than a fundraiser, with the commu nity and chuech members look ang forward to the amval of the pumphins each fall and the feflowshup it provides Not only is it an opportunity for church members to work as a team, but it gives residents a chance to get to know each other and reconnect. I1 also attracts new visitors, from neghtsorthoods all over Smuthtown and Huntington townships as well as from Wantagh, Massapequa. Roslyn and Islip \It gives us an opportunity to explain what we're domg and people say. 'That's wonderful\. Horewwo said. \It*s so much fun.\ Nancy Haas. the Shop Locally on the Internet! thrnewspapers.com event s «oufdinater in Kings Park sand on Monday SNe muny people coming from all over dt veour dake to talk to people, that s the fun part ° hathv Dx» wand. Thu response is pust untschies alylk When they first set up drivers would stop on Rouge 28A ashing How much' and holding «cash out their windows 1s volunteers «uartied goods to therm cars Since then. teas hers and Boy Se out Tout vets have purchased hundreds of pump kins m one stop for theit projects O)pn Monday . Brow me troops ame by c paint haces on pumphin~ Por sin vear old Jack and three ves obd Mackenzie: Tent ot Fust Northpon who were srambling among piles of pumplhins last weekend. it scemed all about tun \The «church has been downy it said \P heard about t by being in the neighborh « xd and passing by ~ He added. \It's orer first time at the sale and | think it \& great They have quite a «colleafion quite a ~ Tricks for treats The United Methodist Church in East Northport, which cele- brates its 100th anniversary this spring, will host a Haunted Cellar on October 21, 22, 28 and 29 from 7 to 9 pm. Admission is $4, plus a can of food to benefit Bernice's Food Pantry. CBMEQ IV 39Vd » LHOdHLHON 40 SSWIL e $002 '0Z 43890190
