By Kim Hutchison
Staff Reporter:
Close to 100 children and their families gathered at Ponka Composite High School to partake in the “Great Pumpkin Hunt” held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 25.
Giraffes, vampires and Spiderman were just a few of the costumes found in the gymnasium as kids were encouraged to dress in their Halloween costumes to enjoy an afternoon of facepainting, balloon animals, and Jump House. There was also an interactive creepy crawly section that included a ball python, a frog and tortoise plus the chance to play a special rendition of the gooey game show “Uh-oh” where contestants were asked multiple-choice questions with the wrong answers resulting in bucket of slime being dumped over the head of a fellow teammate.
After over an hour of indoor entertainment and excitement, it was time for the long awaited pumpkin hunt. Small orange pumpkins were scattered throughout the backyard of the school and children who were divided into various age groups headed outside in search for them. High winds didn’t stop anyone from locating a pumpkin and bringing it back to a table stationed in the field in exchange for a bag of treats followed by a barbecue, cookies and juice for all.
“Family oriented events such as this one provide a chance for members of the community to get out and have fun interacting with one another, building stronger relationships in return,” said organizer Shannon McArthur of the Word of Life church. She and her husband pastor Rob McArthur started this event last year and, with its increasing success and fun the children have, plan to keep it going as an annual tradition.