Bidders had to don their sombreros from their kitchen table this year as the Windthorst Lions Club was unable to hold their annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and Pumpkin Growers鈥� Calcutta in person.
Due to COVID restrictions, the event was a Facebook live auction that ran May 3-5.
鈥淒oing something is better than doing nothing,鈥� said Bernard Steele, member of the Windthorst & District Lions Club.
鈥淟et's try it and see what happens鈥� was the reasoning behind going ahead with the fiesta this year despite not being able to get together in person.
The gardeners were introduced on the Lions鈥� Facebook page prior to the live auction. Returning pumpkin growers included Wanda Reid, Allan Katona, Bernard Steele, Karinda Young, Jim Moulding and Neil Neuls, and Dwight 鈥淭he Vine King鈥� Larsen, who has won the competition three times.
Steele was happy to see that there were some new gardeners involved this year.
Newbie gardeners taking part included Jessica Sproat, Brandon Biesenthal, Peter Dayman, and Zach and Andrea Johnson.
鈥淲e were extremely happy with the way it ran,鈥� said Steele. 鈥淲e weren't sure what to expect because of the timed auction.鈥�
The auction raised $9,700, with half of the proceeds going to the Kipling and District First Responders, which includes Kennedy, Kipling, Corning, Glenavon and Windthorst. A total of $4,850 will be paid out to the group who purchased the winning gardener.
The bidding may have started out slow but when it came down to the last hour it was very frantic. In the last few minutes and even seconds, bidding was fast and furious, as groups were being outbid on their favourite gardener.
鈥淥ver the course of the three days, our group had placed bids on every gardener,鈥� explains Steele.
Following is a summary of the auction:
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dwight Larsen went for $2,600 purchased by Flying by the Seat of our Pants;
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jim Moulding and Neil Neuls - $1,600 by Amigos Loco;
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jessica Sproat - $1,300 by Pick of the Patch;
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Allan Katona, $1,250 - BLR Blake/Lyle/Rhett McCarthy
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Peter Dayman, $900 - Momma鈥檚 Mafia
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Zach and Andrea Johnson, $600 - Leeann Moulding
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bernard Steele, $475 - Brady Sproat
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Wanda Reid, $400 - Norm Jones
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Karinda Young, $300 - Norm Jones
路聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brandon Biesenthal, $275 - Jordan McKay/Brett Cheyne/Blake McCarthy/Logan Meszaros.
Many of the gardeners have their secrets to growing the best pumpkin out there but we鈥檒l have to wait and see whose is the best.
Watch for the Pumpkin Festival in the fall where there will be a weigh in on the pumpkins and one gardener will be named the winner.
Best wishes to all gardeners ... here's hoping you have a good growing year for your pumpkins.
鈥淲e hope we can get back to doing the live auction next year,鈥� comments Steele.
