The smell of raw pumpkin greeted visitors and guests who accompanied their children to the Heartland Youth Center (HYC)'s pumpkin carving event, organized by Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) on Thursday evening, Oct. 27.
Getting as creative as they could, the kids made different designs and patterns on their pumpkins.
There were more than 30 people at the event, crowding the HYC gym.
"We also had pizza generously donated for the evening by Boston Pizza for the Big and Little matches," Mentoring Coordinator Christel Shuckburgh said. "BBBS of Stettler has hosted this night for their matches for many years, I remember doing it with my little sister at least 15 years ago.
Winnie Bissett, executive director of HYC, had the great idea to reach out to businesses around Stettler and do a pumpkin carving contest judged by the number of likes on Facebook, explained Shuckburgh.
This has been a popular event in the community with local businesses getting involved in displaying their creative works of pumpkin art, stating BBBS Stettler's need for volunteers in their mentoring program.
"This is the third year of the 'Most Gourd-geous Pumpkin Carving' contest on our Facebook page and we have already reached over 1,300 people," she said.
This year BBBS partnered with Boston Pizza of Stettler, who according to Shuckburgh has been a great supporter of the organization.
"John Deere was the winner of the pumpkin carving contest and won a pizza party for their business," Shuckburgh added. "Jewel Theatre received an honourable mention for having the most creative pumpkin, while the Wright Builders received the spooky pumpkin award."
Thanking all businesses and community involvement, she added, "We are so grateful to be part of a caring and supportive community. We had many great entries, showcasing the incredible talent we have in this town."