Giant pumpkins carved to help CancerCare Manitoba
Giant pumpkins are once again helping raise funds for CancerCare Manitoba.
The Pumpkin Promise fundraiser has returned for its 11th year, with multiple giant carved pumpkins on display on Baisinger Drive in Winnipeg.
Chris Okell founded the Pumpkin Promise as a tribute to his mother Marietta, who died in 2010 from pancreatic cancer.
“We were a big Halloween family, and she just loved giving back to the kids,” he said.
The giant pumpkins come from Manitoba growers who participate in the Roland Pumpkin Fair. They range in size from 400 lbs to just over 2,000 lbs.
A giant pumpkin carved in Winnipeg for the Pumpkin Promise is seen on Oct. 28, 2024. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)
“When they kick in, they grow anywhere between 40 to 50 pounds a day,” Okell said.
People come by to see the pumpkins and donate money to CancerCare Manitoba. Okell said this year, he’s hoping to raise $6,000.
He added that people from around the world have come to see his pumpkins.
A giant pumpkin flanked by several smaller ones carved in Winnipeg for the Pumpkin Promise is seen on Oct. 28, 2024. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)
“This event has even reached Ireland. The other day, it reached Calgary. It's just, unfortunately, someone gets touched by cancer, so I'm just trying to do my part for as long as I can.”
More information about the pumpkins can be found online.
-With files from CTV's Joseph Bernacki
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING B.C. NDP poised to win 2024 election, with judicial recounts increasingly likely
Incumbent B.C. Premier David Eby’s NDP appears poised to win the province’s nail-biting 2024 election – and could potentially retain the party’s majority, by the narrowest of margins.
'We promise to be better': N.S. firefighter club criticized after group in KKK costumes attends Halloween dance
A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.
'Nobody wants to blow up the party': Trudeau staying, despite resignation calls
Several Liberal MPs are calling for a secret ballot vote on Justin Trudeau's leadership after he made clear he isn't going anywhere in spite of the calls from within his caucus to step down.
Previously unseen photos of Prince William with his mother Diana visiting homeless charity released
Prince William has opened up about how a powerful childhood experience with his brother and late mother helped shape his work in combatting homelessness.
Next CPP payment coming on Tuesday for Canadian retirees
Here's how retirees will get their funds from the federal benefit.
Ont. couple accused of human trafficking plead not guilty as complainant testifies
Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney finally got underway on Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with a woman who worked and lived with the couple testifying.
Google exempt from Online News Act for 5 years, must pay news outlets $100M: CRTC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has granted Google a five-year exemption from the Online News Act, ordering it to pay $100 million to Canadian news outlets within 60 days.
'Pieces of wood': Gummy candies recalled, Canadian Food Inspection Agency says
A recall has been issued for gummy candies due to pieces of wood, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
'Bob's Burgers' actor sentenced to 1 year in prison for role in Capitol riot
An actor known for his roles in the television comedies “Bob's Burgers” and “Arrested Development” was sentenced on Monday to one year in prison for his part in a mob's attack on the U.S. Capitol nearly four years ago.