Hearn Plaza buzzed with excitement as kids dressed as superheroes, pirates and princesses raced between booths — their laughter echoing across campus. One young explorer roared at a dinosaur display, while a princess gleefully tried her hand at a ring toss. This was the magic of Wake Forest University’s 36th annual Project Pumpkin, which, on Oct. 29, transformed the campus into a world of “Wild Adventures,” bringing joy to around 400 local children and uniting the community for a day of fun and connection.
Since its inception in 1989, Project Pumpkin has offered children in Winston-Salem a safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. Student organizations and clubs set up themed booths where children could play games, participate in activities and collect candy.
“We hope to provide an environment where the students and families can play and learn when interacting with our student organizations and the amazing activities they lead,” Grace Novak, student director for Project Pumpkin, said.
Project Pumpkin supports the Wake Forest University Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School, which offers summer enrichment programs focused on literacy. According to Novak, all fundraising efforts, including t-shirt sales and Halloween goodie bags known as “Boo-bags,” go directly to the Freedom School’s operational costs.
“We are honored to be able to contribute directly to helping local students further their education,” Novak said.
One organization embracing this year’s theme was Kappa Beta Gamma sorority (KBG), which hosted an ocean-inspired booth called “Under the Sea with KBG.” Children at the booth designed their own sea creatures while learning about ocean conservation.
“Our sorority members will remind the children how important it is to protect the oceans and the ocean’s value in protecting and sustaining us,” Clara Storer, KBG philanthropy chair, said. “It’s even more impactful to interact with the community that surrounds our campus every day.”
Organizing such a large-scale event required a high degree of coordination. Novak highlighted the essential contributions of the leadership team, consisting of three directors and 12 committee chairs, who worked tirelessly to make Project Pumpkin a success.
A new feature introduced this year was a large screen and full audio set-up to improve communication and enhance the atmosphere.
“The music and visuals helped make the event exciting and engaging for not just the elementary school students but our [Wake Forest] clubs as well,” Novak said.
For many student volunteers, Project Pumpkin is about creating memorable experiences. Chris Kontos, this year’s volunteer chair, recalled an interaction from his freshman year that solidified his involvement.
“I met a little boy dressed as Batman, smiling from ear to ear,” Kontos said. “He said he was glad to have made it to Project Pumpkin with his classmates because his mom had to work late on Halloween.”
For Kontos, moments like these underscore the event’s impact.
“It’s about more than just the candy and games,” Kontos said. “It’s about creating experiences that matter.”
Luke Gustave, representing Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, found joy in the excitement of the children. His fraternity’s rope toss booth was a hit among older kids, showing that the event catered to all ages.
“Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces — they had a lot of fun, and it felt really cool seeing them so excited,” Gustave said.
Reflecting on her four years with Project Pumpkin, Novak summed up the event’s spirit:
“If I have learned anything in my last four years being involved, it’s that nothing brings people together like having fun, whether you are 10, 20 or 50,” Novak said. “Project Pumpkin brings so much joy to everyone involved.”
