Saturday afternoon, Aarika Morse wore a pirate costume, complemented by a pumpkin designed like a treasure chest. Painted gold and black and stuffed with odds and ends pulled from her mom, Michelle’s dresser, the pumpkin held gold coins, metal trinkets and lots of other treasures, which helped to give the pumpkin a little extra weight as it flew down hill behind the Niles-Buchanan YMCA, where it eventually collided with a curb, splashing gold coins in its wake.
“We put a lot of gold paint on it and mixed quite a few colors together. And we went to stores to get candy and stuff to put inside it,” Morse said. “Pretty sure everybody liked watching it explode.”
She said that both her parents, Michelle and Rob helped the pumpkin come together. This year they affixed two silver axels and roller skating wheels to the bottom of the pumpkin.
The fifth annual Great Pumpkin Race, which was hosted by the Niles Noon Optimist Club, brought more than 30 children and their families to decorate a pumpkin and prepare the vegetables for racing. The event helped to raise roughly $2,200 for the Niles Noon Optimist’s youth fund, which gives children scholarships and helps pay for educational camps in the area.
Niles Noon Optimist member Shane Shidler, of Edwardsburg, spent the afternoon calling out heats and telling competitors when to release their pumpkin downhill.
“To see the kids’ smiles, even if we didn’t raise a dollar it would be worth it,” Shilder said.
In addition to creating fun memories and a traditions for families, Shidler said it is always great to see adults and children work together to create their pumpkin masterpieces. This year, he said one of the most creative pumpkins he saw was the treasure chest pumpkin.
Morse said her her parents helped, but let her take ownership in completing the work and
design herself.
“I let her do most of it. It was mostly her idea,” Michelle said. “All I did was look up a picture of a treasure chest.”
Michelle said they tried to think outside of the box when coming up with an idea for the pumpkin. The family has participated in the event for several years, last year, Aarika’s pumpkin won first place.
“If that gets them together, whether it is grandma and grandpa or mom and dad, anything we can do to promote that is awesome,” Shidler said.