The Okotoks Optimist Club came out with a bang on Saturday with their Pumpkin Chunkin event.

This was the first big community event for the club, in which residents were invited to the Country Living & Garden Center to launch pumpkins using a catapult and trebuchet.

Chartered member of the Okotoks Optimist Club Brad Pond says they didn't have long to prepare for the event.

"By the time we became a chartered chapter, it was August, so we had to really kind of scramble to find a location, we had to find people to donate pumpkins, people to build the catapults," adding "Next year we'll hopefully have the infrastructure to build a bigger and better event."

He says he had wanted to hold such an event in Okotoks for years, crediting the Optimist Club and Country Living & Garden Center for finally providing the oppurtunity to make Pumpkin Chunkin a reality.

Despite the rush to plan the event, it was largely successful, with a sizable turnout.

Charter President of the Okotoks Optimist Club Amy Giroux says she was taken aback by the reaction.

"I don't think I was anticipating this great of turnout. It's huge! So many people have told me through the process of this, 'we'd like to see it next year., we want to see it bigger with more things next year.' I anticipate it will become bigger and bigger every single year."

Pond says he'd love to see the event become an annual tradition with a more competitive edge.

"Next year we're hoping to have a few entrys, make it bigger and bigger and create more rivalries. If we can pit auto body shop against auto body shop or hardware store vs hardware store, I think it'd be really cool."

Along with the pumpkin launching, raffles were held and local vendors also attended.

The event acted as a fundraiser for the club, with plans to launch programming in the community as well as future events.

To learn more about the Okotoks Optimist Club, click here.

 

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