STIRLING – If you happen to be one of the many Pro One Stop customers, or if you have recently driven by this popular convenience store/gas bar in the village of Stirling, you have undoubtedly caught a glimpse of the huge, orange pumpkin, that sits out front. It’s hard to miss as it must weigh at least 500 pounds. But what can you possibly do with such an enormous pumpkin that has grown to such a size that it has dwarfed all others in the pumpkin patch? Well I suppose if you had nothing better to do for a week or so, you could bake a few dozen pies. Or you might consider a little creative carving, to shape a life size, orange sculpture of the American President.
But Mike Kerby, the man who owns the pumpkin patch (Hollowview Farms in Ivanhoe) where the colossal pumpkin grew, had a much better idea. “We have one or two of these bizarre giants every year,” explained the Pumpkin King, “and it was at least ten years ago that we approached Min and Julie, here at the Pro One Stop, with the idea of holding an annual, guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin contest.”
And so it is that each October, Kerby generously donates the largest of his harvest to be used as the centerpiece of this fun-filled, guessing game. “This year’s pumpkin is absolutely enormous,” said Julie, “in fact it was so big that we had to rely on the generosity and expertise of the good people at Irwin Cabinet Works who managed to lift it from the truck and place it in front of the store.”
And this is where the giant pumpkin will sit for the next two weeks, so that all Pro One Stop customers with a keen eye can take part in this annual, Halloween challenge.
“All you have to do,” Julie explains, “is guess the weight of the giant pumpkin. It’s a 50-50 contest, with half the proceeds going to our local Food Bank, and half to the person whose guess is closest to the exact weight…without going over. Each guess costs a Toonie or you can have three guesses for five dollars. And the more guesses, the better your chance to win. But the contest closes at 4 pm on October 29.”
At the moment, only Mike Kerby of Hollowview Farms knows the exact weight of the giant pumpkin and he has been sworn to secrecy. Kerby will be on site at the Pro One Stop, on Wednesday October 29 at 4 pm to reveal the secret and to declare the winner.
“It’s always a whole lot of fun for everyone who takes part,” added Julie, “but the real winner will be our local Food Bank. We’re happy to be able to help and we are so fortunate to be living in such a caring community.”