The annual Great Pumpkin Challenge is returning to Main Street this year thanks to the Trinity Church youth group.

Residents are challenged to carve a pumpkin and drop it off with a suggested donation of $5 at 36 Main Street, Friday, October 28, between 3:30 pm and 7 pm; Saturday, October 29, between 9 am to 2 pm; and Sunday, October 30, between 9 am and 2 pm. The carved pumpkins will be on display on the church grounds on Halloween, October 31, from 4:30 pm to 8 pm.

The Great Pumpkin Challenge was created by Mackenzie Page when she was an eighth grade student at Newtown Middle School. Mackenzie was inspired to support a family friend, Zoe McMorran, who was diagnosed with brain cancer. That year, 2011, Mackenzie challenged residents to carve a pumpkin, drop it off for display at her family's Main Street home, and offer a suggested donation of $5.

Mackenzie raised money both for the American Cancer Society and for Zoe's family in 2011. Since then, money has been raised for Paul Newman's Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp and center serving children and families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses.

Last year's Great Pumpkin Challenge collected 228 carved pumpkins and raised more than $75,000 for the camp. It was a record year, and it was Mackenzie's last as a high school student. She graduated from Newtown High School this past June.

Before Mackenzie headed off for the fall semester at Babson College in Massachusetts, she met with Trinity Church youth who offered to take on the challenge.

Trinity Church Children and Youth Minister Sue Vogelman said at a recent youth group meeting that trick-or-treating, Halloween, and The Great Pumpkin Challenge were discussed. The group has always supported the challenge by bringing pumpkins and giving donations, according to Ms Vogelman. This year, everything about the Great Pumpkin Challenge will remain the same, except for the host location.

"We used to walk [our carved pumpkins] down, but now we don't have to walk them. We just have to walk them out front," said Ms Vogelman.

The Trinity Church youth have been busy, according to Ms Vogelman and Cathy Filiato, a parent of two of the youth helping to organize this year's challenge.

"I just thought it was a good idea," said Newtown High School junior Tristan Filiato, about what he thought when he first learned the youth group would be taking on the challenge.

Roughly 12 local students have been helping with the prechallenge effort, according to Ms Filiato.

Trinity Church has typically raised donations of candy for the volumes of trick-or-treaters who walk Main Street each Halloween, but this is the first year, Ms Vogelman said, that Trinity will also be handing out candy. So this year's candy collection at the church will help support the handouts offered there.

A sign for one of the collection boxes, which are set up at the front and rear entrances, at Trinity Church reads, "Thank you for supporting our Trinity Main Street Trick-or-Treat at the Great Pumpkin Challenge this Halloween. The Great Pumpkin Challenge supports The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for seriously ill children. Please deposit your bag(s) into this box any time until October 30. Thank you!"

The box is decorated with images of pumpkins and further information about the Great Pumpkin Challenge.

The church will also be open on Halloween.

Ms Filiato said, "We want people to see the church."

Students have been overseeing many aspects of the Great Pumpkin Challenge effort, according to Ms Vogelman.

The Trinity Church youth are also planning to visit the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in the future, Ms Filiato said.

"I just think it is completely cool that kids who have certain diseases can go to a summer camp and just be [kids]," Tristan said.

Scaffolding for the Halloween pumpkin display is again being donated by Taylor Rental/Party Plus of Monroe.

"Everybody is very excited about this. They can't wait for that weekend," said Ms Vogelman.

More information about the challenge is available on its website greatpumpkinchallenge.org, where donations are also accepted.

Newtown Parks and Recreation, 3 Main Street, is also collecting candy bag donations to support Main Street residents at its office. Thousands of trick-or-treaters are expected to visit the area on Halloween. Along with an ongoing drop-off location for donating candy, Parks and Recreation will also be accepting candy contributions for Main Street homeowners at its annual Halloween Party for children 8 years old and under. That event will take place at the Dickinson Park pavilion on Wednesday, October 26, at 5 pm. Any brand or size of candy is accepted, but Parks and Recreation does request all bags be sealed in order to be accepted.

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