Launching Hope Pumpkin Chunking Team Challenge
Family Fun Event Supporting Humane Society of SW Michigan
(BENTON HARBOR, MI) July 7, 2017 – The pumpkins will be flying higher and farther Saturday, October 7, for the Launching Hope Pumpkin Chunking Challenge held at Nimby Pond in Buchanan, Michigan. This year’s challenge offers teams the opportunity to build their own catapult, trebuchet or canon and compete for trophies and prizes. The “UNLIMITED” category has drawn national competitors promising distances of 800 to more than 2,000 feet! Trophies will be awarded for teams in each of the different classes; individuals can compete for prizes in an “OPEN” class where any one (including children) can launch their own pumpkin on a trebuchet.

This event will be a warm up for the national competition held in Bridgeville, Delaware on November 3-5 for some of the competitors and offers an opportunity for area residents to see these machines in live action, up close and personal. For many spectators, viewing catapults and trebuchets–concepts originally designed as medieval tools of warfare and destruction—will be a novel experience. But some of the teams have been exhibiting and competing in this fun, fall ritual for over a decade.

Other activities offer prizes to children for pumpkin decorating and games. The gates open at 12 noon. 11470 Hills Road, Buchanan Michigan, admission is $10 per car. Details are available at www.LaunchingHope.org or humanesocietyswm.org.