The Kiwanis Club of Wilton‘s Annual Pumpkin Sale is going on now at the Wilton Historical Society (224 Danbury Rd.) until Sunday, Oct. 30. They’ve got pumpkins and all sorts of fall decor, including mums, corn, cornstalks, hay and even cacti. Every purchase made supports the causes that the Wilton Kiwanis Club helps fund.
“Our pumpkin sale is one of our largest fundraisers. It is the eighth year we’ve been running it here at the Wilton Historical Society. Last year we sold over $50,000 worth of pumpkins, which goes right back into the community. So we’re thrilled with that,” said Gregg Chann, former past president of the Kiwanis Club.
Every cent of profit made during the sale is channeled back into contributions the club makes to organizations in town that serve children, in fitting with the focus of the international Kiwanis organization.
“Last year we gave a little under $16,000 to the Wilton Library,” Den Taylor, Wilton Kiwanis Club’s immediate past president, said. “You go in there and you look at the big [digital] screens and all the information that they have [hanging on the walls] throughout the library. We provided that.”
At the Wilton Family YMCA is evidence of another major contribution from the Kiwanis Club. “Look over at the Wilton Little League fields. You’ll see Wilton Kiwanis. We have contributed to basically a refurbishment of the fields and also bring the fields up to spec so that Wilton can host playoff games for the Little League, which was something they couldn’t do for a number of years,” Taylor said.
The pumpkin sale helps the Kiwanis Club support many other organizations, including the Wilton Garden Club, Trackside Teen Center, and more. “All things that help build our community because we all live in Wilton and we want to make sure Wilton is the best place it can be,” Chann said.
Each year, the Kiwanis Club designates one charity that will receive all the profits from Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day weekend. This year, the charity selected by the Kiwanis is Circle of Care, a Wilton-based organization that helps Connecticut families of children facing a pediatric cancer diagnosis.
“Again, it’s a way that we can give back to the community in a very directed way,” Taylor said.
The Kiwanis Pumpkin Patch is something Wilton residents love every year.
“People point out that they look forward to the sea of orange that shows up at the end of September, and we’ll be here through Oct. 30, the day before Halloween. We accept various forms of payment beyond cash — we accept Venmo, we accept credit cards, we accept checks, and if you’re here after hours, we have an honor box and we will trust you to take [what you purchase] and then leave payment in the honor box,” Taylor said.
The pumpkin sale is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the weekends, and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.