Close to 1,000 people gathered at Hensler’s Nursery near Hamlet for the second annual Pumpkin Drop Saturday afternoon.
The event this year was even bigger and better than the first. WKVI was on hand to broadcast the event and there was a new attraction this year; A pumpkin chucker that fired small pumpkins at a van some 100 yards away.
Lori of Fahrfunflinger’s Pumpkin Chucker explained the organization’s name.
“Both parties who started this thing have German ancestries so that’s kind of where it started,” said Lori. “It is a made up word, but Fahrfunflinger really translates to: we travel far to have fun to fling pumpkins.”
The event helped raise money and canned items for the Starke County Food Pantry located at Community Services. Bill Rentschler, a former school official at Oregon-Davis schools, who is now a licensed auctioneer, did the honors of auctioning off the right to pull the cord on the giant pumpkin to be dropped.
“This is a 1,200 pound pumpkin,” said Rentschler. “Last year I believe it was 1,100 pounds so we should get more money. We’ve got $550 and it’s sold!”
The right to pull was won by the Ed and Debbie Troike family.
Then it was time for the big 1,200 pound pumpkin to be dropped from 100 feet in the air. Here’s Tom Berg with the call.
“Ladies and gentleman, it is now time for the grand finale of the second annual WKVI Great Pumpkin Drop! A 1,200 pound pumpkin is about to obliterate a white panel van. Counting down from ten…ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…..PULL!!!!”
Photos by Jayme Goetz.
