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Pumpkin Festival raises $2,085 [UPDATED]
Published 10:07am Monday, October 22, 2012 Updated 12:08pm Monday, October 22, 2012By Pam Williams
For The Journal
When I started the store 12 years ago, I wanted to do some sort of Pumpkin something. I had been at the Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay, Calif., and just loved it. I thought we should be able to do something like that here in Ottertail.
My daughter, Elise, suggested that we tie it in with a charity to get the community involved.
The first years’ donations went to Habitat for Humanity, then to the Ottertail Walking and Bike Path.
Now donations are all given to the United Way School Backpack Program. The money buys food to put in special kids’ backpacks (picked up in their locker at school every Friday).
This provides food for the weekend when there are no school lunch programs.
The United Way takes the donation money and buys from a food distribution center in Crookston stretching the donation dollars.
The Ottertail Pumpkin Festival has become so dear to us gals working in the store, it always brings tears to our eyes when we watch what happens here that day.
All of the money donatde is given to United Way. The Williams Company does not take any store event expense from the money.
