Big Idea

After watching the horrific disaster of Hurricane Sandy unfold and continue to unfold a group of us decided we needed to help.

We work in a huge barn and the farms around us have hundreds of unsold pumpkins..the idea hit us!  Would folks have tons of fun tossing pumpkins at targets from the upper windows of our barn?  We knew we would love to do this and as we talk to others it became clear we may have just landed on a pretty unique idea.

As the idea of folks making a small contribution to hurl a pumpkin (NO edible pumpkin will be used!!!)  35, 70, 100 feet down onto targets took shape and more and more folks have joined in.

The Vermont Food Bank shared how so many other states came to Vermont’s aid when Irene struck.  In particular, the food security system which serves families (one in six Vermonters) was devastated and many of the states “Super Storm Sandy” hit were incredibly generous just a year ago when Vermont was hit.  John Sayles, VFB Executive Director, quickly agreed this would be an opportunity to help those who were so generous to our neighbors.

The original plan was to raise money, use it to purchase food from local farms to be donated to the Vermont Food Bank which would process, pack, and deliver it to those areas hardest hit by Sandy thru their food security system. This past Saturday the news carried a story of more than one million meals being delivered.  The need will grow dramatically.

Lots of folks jumped in to make this event work including the local farmer who agreed to put off tilling in his field of pumpkins — most of which were frost damaged, soft from age, and just not usable in any way.

We really did not know how this kick-off event will go.  If just 30-40 folks show up and we raise a few hundred bucks that would have been great!  However,several hundred folks showed up and more than $1,500 was raised at the kick-off.

The need is huge and if we can get all our friends to raise funds  on-line and in turn get their friends to do the same than we could have an even larger impact.  This is a 50 billion dollar disaster and the need is great. The need is beyond what any of us can truly imagine. We want to do whatever we can to help. Thank you for your continued fund-raising.

The volunteers who put this kick-off event on are committed and are determined to truly make a difference. We hope everyone reading this will do three things:

1.   Make a personal donation by giving to one of the teams on the donate tab.

2.   Set a personal on-line goal of $250, $500 or more and ask everyone you know to help.

3.   Ask your friends if they in turn will do the same regardless of where they live..set an online donation goal and ask every one you know to help you meet and exceed that goal.

Thank you!