Pumpkin Race
“Today’s event is the Naperville Pumpkin Race. It’s the culmination of what our students have worked on for six months, creating pumpkin kits that have actually shipped to 12 other states, over 500 kits,” said Carrie Provenzale, executive director of Turning Pointe Autism Foundation. “And then we celebrate today by having our very own pumpkin race and I love that our students are paid and prepping the kits all year long as practice for their work life. And the other part that I love is when our students kick it off.”
“Today’s really just about creating awareness about autism and all the great things we’re doing at Turning Pointe Autism Foundation,” said board president, Howard Weiss. “We’re so excited the weather’s turned out great. A lot of people just show up and we have a little area where you can decorate your pumpkin, we get them on wheels, and then we go over to the ramp and run them down the hill. We’ve got a lot of rules. We’re not allowed to use any motorized equipment and it has to be a pumpkin. And if it’s not, we have what we call the hammer of justice.”
Community Support
Last year the event was canceled due to COVID-19, but it was back for the fifth year this year at Rotary Hill. Both the organization’s students and the public participated in the Pumpkin Race. “To have a community like Naperville where people come out and support our group and lots of groups that are out there with varying missions, it’s really incredible to see,” said Weiss.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.