Brad Horn/Nevada Appeal Fifth-grade teacher Dennis Beeghly checks to make sure his sunglasses are straight before helping his students unload 1000 pumpkins onto the lawn at Seeliger Elementary School in Carson CIty on Friday. The school sets up a pumpkin patch every year along with a cake sale to raise funds for the Carson City school.
It's a serious fund-raiser for the school but don't tell that to the students.
"I came for a billion hours last year," said 10-year-old Noelle Bonas. "I went in the dunk tank, ran around chasing my friends and had a lot of candy."
More than a thousand pumpkins will go on sale today for $2 to $4 each as part of Seeliger Elementary School's 12th annual Pumpkin Patch.
And that's not all.
Pizza, macaroni and baked goods will also be for sale. Children will enjoy the games galore while 20 to 25 craft booths will entertain adults.
"(The Pumpkin Patch) is a lot of fun with food, games and prizes," said fifth-grade teacher Jill Steel. "It's good for all ages, and doesn't cost a lot of money."
Cake-walk winners will have more than 100 cakes to choose from, including cakes in the shape of ghosts, pumpkins and spiders.
One lucky person will win their own parking space at Seeliger for a year. Those who drive to the Pumpkin Patch and park at the school will be charged $1, and have their name entered in the raffle for the parking space.
Leann White, 11, found a peculiar looking pumpkin when she helped unloaded pumpkins Friday from the Avanzino Farms truck.
"There was one stem on the top and one stem on the bottom," she said.
Manroop Sandhu, 10, pointed to one large pumpkin and his classmates ran to find it.
"This one?" someone yelled.
"No," he said, pointing. "That one."
In addition to the pumpkin-patch romp, students also enjoyed the obvious benefit.
"We don't have to be in class. That's the best thing," Manroop said.
Between $7,000 and $8,000 is raised each year. The money is used for class trips, awards and other student projects.
Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at mo'neill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.
