A pumpkin bought in Gainesville can help a child in the Bahamas.
The Gainesville Church of God, at 7003 NW 39th Ave., will host its sixth Buy a Pumpkin Feed a Child for the rest of October to raise money for charity work in Guatemala, Venezuela and the Bahamas, said Kyle Greenwald, a 17-year-old church clerk and worship leader.
The pumpkin patch is open to all ages, and there will be stations to take family pictures, a bounce house and a place to pick pumpkins, he said.
Pumpkin bread and Guatemalan coffee will also be sold with the proceeds going to the church’s eight feeding centers in Guatemala and Venezuela as well as hurricane relief in the Bahamas, Greenwald said.
The church will also be accepting additional donations to the project.
Greenwald, who is also a volunteer for the pumpkin patch, said events like this give Gainesville residents a chance to give back.
Buying a pumpkin for a good cause can make customers feel better about their purchase than if they were to buy pumpkins from a grocery store, said Greenwald.
“Here in America we have way more resources and it also gives [customers] more confidence in what they did,” Greenwald said.
Ami Smart, a 19-year-old UF architecture sophomore, said Buy a Pumpkin Feed a Child is a way for students to have fun while making a difference in underserved communities.
“There are a lot of people in Gainesville who can buy pumpkins and it's a good cause so I’d definitely go,” Smart said.
Rhyan Nedobity, a 19-year-old UF accounting sophomore, carves a pumpkin monday during the Pumpkin Palooza Leadership Venture at the Heavener Hall courtyard. Hosted by the Warrington Diplomats, the organization holds events that focus on professional development every semester.
