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’ Calcutta in person.
Due to COVID restrictions, the event was a Facebook live auction that ran May 3-5.
“Doing something is better than doing nothing,” said Bernard Steele, member of the Windthorst & District Lions Club.
“Let's try it and see what happens” 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’ 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 “The Vine King” 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.
“We were extremely happy with the way it ran,” said Steele. “We weren't sure what to expect because of the timed auction.”
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.
“Over the course of the three days, our group had placed bids on every gardener,” explains Steele.
Following is a summary of the auction:
· Dwight Larsen went for $2,600 purchased by Flying by the Seat of our Pants;
· Jim Moulding and Neil Neuls - $1,600 by Amigos Loco;
· Jessica Sproat - $1,300 by Pick of the Patch;
· Allan Katona, $1,250 - BLR Blake/Lyle/Rhett McCarthy
· Peter Dayman, $900 - Momma’s Mafia
· Zach and Andrea Johnson, $600 - Leeann Moulding
· Bernard Steele, $475 - Brady Sproat
· Wanda Reid, $400 - Norm Jones
· Karinda Young, $300 - Norm Jones
· 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’ll 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.
“We hope we can get back to doing the live auction next year,” comments Steele.
