People watched in awe as three massive pumpkins were hoisted 36 metres in the air by crane, then smashed to the ground.
Around 2,000 people were at the pumpkin drop event Sunday at Black Fox Distillery near Saskatoon.
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The largest pumpkin was 1,300 pounds and crushed its target, a Nissan car donated by Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).
“I grow giant pumpkins for fundraisers,” Eddy Zaychkowsky said.
The Airdrie, Alta., grower has been growing giant produce for 17 years.
It’s the first year he brought his pumpkins to Saskatchewan, after doing a number of pumpkin drop fundraisers in Alberta.
When asked what the draw is to the pumpkin drop events, Zaychkowsky simply answered, “mass destruction, on a vegetable level.”
Sunday marked his 154th, 155th and 156th pumpkin drop.
The other two enormous pumpkins were also put to good use.
One was transformed into a giant pumpkin piñata filled with candy. Hundreds of kids dashed down the hill towards it, just seconds after it shattered on the ground.
The third was filled with numbered ping pong balls, which were each sold for $5. The closest one to the target won the grand prize of various items donated by local businesses, valued at $1,000.
“It’s good clean fun. There just isn’t enough of this stuff. You can tell by the crowd. This is the inception. This is cool,” Zaychkowsky said.
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More than $9,000 was raised from the day, which will go towards the Saskatoon Firefighters Pediatric Fund.
The event was put on by the Saskatoon chapter of the Honorable Order of the Blue Goose International, which is a fraternal organization of individuals who work in the insurance-related industry.
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