Leaves won’t be the only thing falling this autumn. Pumpkins will also be dropping from the sky at the first Lake Orion Pumpkin Launch, noon to 4 (Oct. 25) at Orion Oaks Park.
‘There’s going to be a lot of pumpkins flying,? said Michael Toth, the Lake Orion Village councilmember who initiated the event.
The launch was inspired and approved by the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association (WCPCA) in Delaware, which pioneered recreational pumpkin launching. The activity involves teams building trebuchets, catapult-like devices from the Middle Ages that can be anywhere from 20-inches to 30-feet tall.
In the competition, the machines are loaded with everyone’s favorite Halloween gourds, which are then flung across a field. The pumpkins reaching the greatest distance’sometimes up to 1,500 feet’win.
Toth, who also serves on the village’s and township’s park and recreation committees, built his first trebuchet last summer with a friend and discovered the thrill of hurling watermelons and pumpkins.
‘You immediately think, ‘How can I go bigger??? he said. ‘It’s even better when you see [the pumpkin] hit.?
Toth shared his enthusiasm with his students at Kingsbury School in Oxford, where he is a physical education teacher, by having them build small trebuchets to launch golf balls. According to Toth, the activity is a good way to teach kids basic physics and the scientific method.
And a very popular way.
‘The kids loved it. I’m doing it again this year,? he said.
With the Pumpkin Launch, Toth wanted to bring the rest of the community in on the fun. The event came before the village council at their regular meeting on Sept. 8, where its cost, $700 for insurance purposes, was discussed. Since the event will be held at an Oakland County park in Orion Township, the village paying the costs raised some questions with council, though it eventually passed unanimously.
‘At first I was totally against it,? said Councilmember John Ranville. ‘It’s not going to do anything for the village.?
But Ranville said he was willing to see how it went as a one-time deal.
At the regular village council meeting on Sept. 15, it appeared the event had hit a bit of a snag: it turns out the insurance price was double what village officials had thought, around $1,500.
Toth is determined to pull off the event regardless, but will not ask for more village money. Instead, he hopes to raise the other half through sponsorships and maybe donations.
The Pumpkin Launch will run from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Orion Oaks County Park, 2301 W. Clarkston Road. The competition will be followed by more demonstrations. There will be a $5 parking fee for spectators, and a $25 fee to participate. Pre-registration is required. If you’re interested, contact Toth for information at councilmantoth@yahoo.com.