Six years ago, the Highland Park Methodist Church asked the Stillwater Lions Club in Stillwater to work with them to run a pumpkin patch.
This simple idea became a success by hosting various events and welcoming people from all over the world. The patch started last Saturday and will run until Sunday, October 31st. The Patch is open daily from 1pm to 7pm, Sat 10am to 8pm and Sun 12pm to 6pm, Highland Park United Methodist Church, 524 N Stallard, Stillwater.
The Pumpkin Patch is a fundraiser for the Stillwater community and the world. Some of the beneficiaries include Highland Park Elementary School, Lions International Disaster Relief, church planting grants for local entrepreneurs, eye tests, and more. The support of the community is important so that the event takes place every year, as 100% of the funds received go back to the community for the needs of the organization and humanitarian aid.
In October, special events such as pancake breakfast, cornhole tournament, spaghetti lunch, pumpkin catapult and trick or treat take place in the patch.
Richard Hawkins, President of the Stillwater Lions Club, is one of the people responsible for implementing the patch. For Hawkins, organizing an event is something that can take time and effort.
“Planning for the next patch begins a month after the previous patch is completed, ”said Hawkins. “A committee entrusted with church and Lions members has subcommittees that deal with various functions of the patch; Finance, advertising, patch design, pumpkin ordering, special events, customer service, purchasing, patch building, and pumpkin unloading. A truck loaded with 2,400 pumpkins and gourds is delivered each year by Pumpkins USA, a Navajo Indian reservation in Farmington, New Mexico that supplies over 100 pumpkin fields across America. ”
Additionally, Oklahoma state students can earn community service hours by editing the patch to help their customers.
“Recruiting OSU students for volunteers is a breeze for us, they provide manpower, and we give them the volunteer hours they need to report on their transcript, ”Hakins said. “And they enjoy meeting and serving the community.”
The OSU Volunteer Center has created a table that students can use to sign up for work in two-hour shifts.
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