CANTON, S.D. (KELO) — It’s pumpkin season across KELOLAND and this weekend you can pick a pumpkin for a cause.
Riverview Christmas Tree Farm in Canton is hosting its Pumpkin Festival this weekend, and for every medium and large pumpkin purchased $3.50 will be donated to Sanford’s Cure Kid’s Cancer program.
The pumpkins are ready to be picked at Riverview Christmas Tree Farm’s pumpkin patch. For the third year, the farm is donating money from each pumpkin sold to help families affected by childhood cancer.
“We just heard the radio-thon during our pumpkin festival and just thought man there is something maybe we can do out here to help give back. So, three years ago, me and my wife started by giving a dollar away per pumpkin,” said Todd Gannon, owner.
Since then, the farm has had other groups help with the cause, and now they are able to donate 3 dollars and 50 cents per pumpkin.
“It’s a great feeling when you get those calls from friends and business partners that say hey we want to be part of this, we want to give back too. It really helps make that mission just bigger than yourself,” said Gannon.
“We love it when businesses rally around the families and patients that we serve. We know not everybody knows a child who has been impacted by pediatric cancer, but we know that most adults have had an adult experience with cancer, whether it’s themselves, or a family member or a friend, so to know that they are using those experiences and wanting to give back to help other kids going through cancer just means so much to us,” said Bethany Olson, senior development officer with the Sanford Health Foundation.
With over 30 types of pumpkins to choose from, you can have some fall fun, while also supporting an important cause.
“I’ve grown up always raised with a sense of community, had a great community that always supported us in everything we’ve done so it just feels really good to be able to give back to that community,” said Gannon.
The fundraiser for Sanford will be this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The farm will also being hosting a haunted trail on Saturday night to support the Canton FFA chapter starting at 7 p.m.