Students and Faculty Unleash Creativity on Pumpkins

By CHELSEA FULLER

Nothing says autumn quite like pumpkin carving. Thanks to Carving For a Cure, students were able to bust out carving knifes and put creativity to use.
On Friday, Oct. 26, the University of Mary Washington’s Relay for Life put on the second annual pumpkin-carving event.  Running for three hours on Ball Circle, the event not only boasted pumpkin-carving, but also a BellAcapella performance, dancing, hot drinks and the opportunity to register for the upcoming relay race in April.
Even with a slight chill in the air, students were seen carving, chatting and getting excited about the upcoming year.
Rose Taylor, a sophomore and English major, looked forward to the event.
“I can’t wait to carve up a cat pumpkin! And I’m definitely thinking of joining Relay [For Life],” said Taylor.
Co-chairs of Relay For Life, Melissa Peters, junior and psychology major, and Hester Godfrey, a junior biology and psychology double major, expected a turnout of around 150.  With some pumpkins spread out around Ball Circle, resembling an actual pumpkin patch, it was clear that the student turnout was already exceeding predictions.
With high hopes for the afternoon, Relay For Life provided the opportunity for monetary support through donations to either buy a lumaria, a candle that will be lit during a Lumaria Ceremony, or to help them reach their end of the year goal of $75,000.
Since most students have had cancer touch their lives in some way, it was no surprise that students and student-led groups came to show support at Carving For a Cure.
All the pumpkins that were carved during the event were donated from local farms around the Fredericksburg area, ensuring that students could even feel good about what they were carving.  When students and faculty were finished carving, they could either take home the pumpkins or they would be donated to Pumpkin Palooza, a COAR event.
With Halloween celebrations taking place throughout the weekend, the freshly-carved pumpkins will come in handy for Trick-or-Treating.
The excitement in the air was alive. Whether it be over the positive turn out, the free pumpkin carving or the anticipation of the April race, it was clear that this event both raised awareness for Relay For Life and let students know fall has officially arrived.