The 35th annual Project Pumpkin event will turn Hearn Plaza into a “Wild Adventure” wonderland, representing the desert, jungle, arctic and aquatic biomes through decorated booths. This halloween-inspired philanthropic tradition, that will occur on Oct. 24, brings together the students of Wake Forest University with local Winston-Salem schools for trick-or-treating, playing games and engaging in various booth competitions. 

This year, around 35 elementary schools have been invited, many of which have been recurring participants of Project Pumpkin. 

Senior and Project Pumpkin Director Grace Novak has been involved with the event since her freshman year, where she volunteered to escort children around the event. The next year Novak went on to work on the agency committee, where her main role was fostering the technical partnership between Project Pumpkin and the local elementary schools in order for the children to be able to attend the event, as well as accounting for each student on the day of. Novak became the committee chair for operations her junior year. 

“My favorite part of Project Pumpkin is seeing the joy and excitement on all the children’s faces when they step out onto the quad and see all the booths and games,” Novak said. “Project Pumpkin’s greater purpose is to create a meaningful link between our community and the Winston-Salem community.” 

The philanthropic foundation of the event raises money for the Wake Forest University Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School. The Freedom School is a summer literacy program, free of cost to students in the Winston-Salem area, that partners with Wake Forest students to aid local children in developing their education. 

“This year we are planning a lot of awesome fundraisers leading up to the event. We are working with local restaurants to plan fundraising nights. In addition, we are going to be selling goodie-baskets, labeled “Boo-baskets,” so people can surprise their friends the week leading up to the event with some philanthropic and halloween-themed treats,” Novak said. 

Senior Hallie Martel, Project Pumpkin’s external director, works to support the fundraising, public relations, set design and outreach efforts that go into the foundations of this event. 

Apart from increased connection with the wider Winston-Salem community that Project Pumpkin brings, Martel appreciates the broad intention of encouraging students to grow a love for reading and learning. This encouragement is fostered through the proceeds of the event that go towards The Freedom School. 

Project Pumpkin incorporates activities and entertainment for the children, provided by Wake Forest’s various student groups, clubs and other organizations. Each booth will coincide with the “Wild Adventure” theme, while organizations come up with their own activities. 

As for entertainment, several Wake Forest dance and a capella groups will perform, and the Sigma Pi fraternity lounge will be turned into a haunted house. 

Novak encourages anyone within the Wake Forest community to get involved in Project Pumpkin.

“There are so many ways to get involved,” Novak said. “Beyond our steering committees, you can volunteer to help set up the quad, escort kids around on the day of or you can help one of your other organizations/clubs run their booth!” 

Junior Derek Matthews, co-director of agency for Project Pumpkin, started his dedication to Project Pumpkin even before his time at Wake Forest, when his older sister was a student here. 

“The reason why I was initially involved in this event is because I would help my sister, so I kind of grew up around Project Pumpkin,” Matthews said. “It has always been special to me.” 

As co-director of agency, Matthews’ main job is reaching out to local schools for permission slips and registration forms that allow the kids to join the event. Of those able to attend, Matthews works to check in all of these students the day of. 

Sophomore and fellow co-director of agency, Ava Josef, says her favorite aspect of Project Pumpkin is the interactions between the volunteers and student participants.

Josef’s admiration for Project Pumpkin started even before her time at Wake Forest, which speaks to the influence this initiative has outside campus borders. 

“I thought it was such a fun and unique campus tradition. First semester of my freshman year, I decided it was one of the organizations I would sign up for first.” 

“[The local elementary students] are why this event exists and is the central purpose for all of the work we do before and on the day of the event,” Josef said. “Watching these kids having fun with Wake [Forest] students and vice-versa is so rewarding.”