The Great Pumpkin Challenge was founded in 2011 by Mackenzie Page when she was in eighth grade at Newtown Middle School. She was inspired to support her friend, Zoe McMorran, who was diagnosed with brain cancer. She invited residents to carve a pumpkin and drop it off for display at the family’s Main Street home with a suggested $5 donation per pumpkin for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp serving children with cancer and other serious illnesses.

The youth of Trinity Episcopal Church, 36 Main Street, gladly took over the project in 2016, when Mackenzie left for college.

For the fifth season, the church’s young adults are inviting all area residents to once again participate in the wonderful and inspiring Halloween tradition.

Jack-o-lanterns can be goofy, frightening, funny — nearly anything goes, as long as it is family appropriate.

Carved pumpkins and donations will be collected in front of the church. The youth group continues the tradition of requesting a $5 donation per carved pumpkin, with 100% of funds collected forwarded to The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp.

Carved pumpkins can be delivered to the church on Sunday, October 24, between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm; Saturday, October 30, 11 am to 4 pm; and Sunday, October 31, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Pumpkins can also be delivered after October 24, even if it is not during the aforementioned collection times. Donations can be mailed to the church, 36 Main Street, Newtown CT 06470, or made online via trinitynewtownct.org.

Additionally, the public is invited to join the youth group for a pumpkin carving event at the church, outdoors, on Sunday, October 24. The gathering will begin around 10:30 am, following that morning’s worship service.

The full collection will be displayed on scaffolding in front of the church for Halloween evening.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp was founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, with one simple premise in mind: every child, no matter their illness, could experience the transformational spirit and friendships that go hand-in-hand with camp. Through a variety of year-round programs offered onsite, in hospitals and clinics, and right in camper homes and communities, the camp provides “a different kind of healing” to more than 20,000 seriously ill children and family members annually — all completely free of charge. The camp is a community that celebrates fun, friendship, and the spirit of childhood.

The members of Trinity Church extend their thanks for providing an opportunity for their youth to serve in the broader world.

For additional information about the town’s Episcopal Church, its mission in Newtown, programs, and other offerings, visit trinitynewtownct.org or call 203-426-9070.